Beyond Imagination
by MyLadyOfStories
Summary: I'm a hybrid of a human & a Stryx, faery like with thin, delicate wings & a sharp dragons tail, both of which I got from my father. Mum, Sarah Jane, said she loved my father, that she hadn't known she was pregnant when he left, but she couldn't tell him. So raised me alone. I'm Niara Andrea Smith, this is how I found out I was the Author of Fixed Points & I was Beyond Imagination.
1. Finding The Doctor

My second lesson of the day in my temporary school, while my normal one thought I was on holiday, was physics. I liked physics, all types of science really, but I prefered chemistry, and even then, I prefered Engineering and English. "Good morning class. Are we sitting comfortably?" Mr Smith asked with a smile, before he started to write physics on the board.

Then proceeded to say it several dozen times.

"OK, let's see what you know. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What happens if they're brought near each other?" Myself and a boy with glasses put our hands up but he pointed to the boy. "Yes, er, what's your name?"

"Milo."

"Milo! Off you go."

The boy didn't hesitate. "They'd repel each other because they have the same charge."

Which Mr Smith loved. "Correctamundo! A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again." Weirdo. "Question two. I coil up a thin piece of microwire and place it into a glass of water. Then I turn on the electricity and measure the water to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is this. How do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?" Just Milo and I again, so this time he pointed to me. "OK, love, what's your name?"

"Niara. Nia. You'd measure the current and PD's in an ammeter and a volt meter." I replied, not looking up from the book I was obviously reading. "Depending on the voltage and the speed of the current, the water would heat up roughly 2-3 degrees every 30 seconds maybe?"

"True of false, Nia, Milo, the greater the damping of a system, the quicker it loses it's energy to it's surroundings."

Easy and I spoke in time with Milo. "False."

"Mr Smith swapped to biology for a moment. "What is non-coding DNA?"

Please, up your game. "DNA that doesn't code for protein."

"65983x5."

I had to pause, just for a moment, adding in my head, so Milo managed to beat me. I was fast, inhumanly so, but he was like a calculator. "329015."

Then the game went too high for even me, not even Mr Smith could teach me the next question. "How do you travel faster than light?"

"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of 36.7 recurring."

I grabbed a pen from my bag, walking over to the whiteboard and started to work out the equation he just said. "Holy... He's right. That makes sense and would work."

Even Mr Smith's jaw dropped, looking between the two of us, but then quickly dropped the subject, wiping my sums off the board and got on with the actual lesson. The Doppler Effect as I boredly read my book until lunch. Where I ended up sitting at the other end of the table from Mr SMith, the teacher, not the computer, while I texted mum. "Boy had super brain. Bigger than mine. Knew how to travel FTL."

"Nia, be careful, baby. You pushed to come with me, you're still young. Chips and pie OK for tea?"

"As long as you don't set off the fire alarm again. Good luck with Finch. Love you, mum."

Then I quickly put it away as Mr Smith moved in front of me. "Niara, right?" I nodded, looking at my book again. I was nearly always reading. "How long you been going to school here, Nia? Don't you sit with friends?"

I didn't even have friends at my normal school, I was perfectly happy reading by myself. "My first day. Besides, all my friends are fictional and I'm perfectly happy with that. You want to know why I'm smart, try looking at my files. I can check the equations, but not even I know how to travel FTL."

"Niara Smith. Something tells me you're going to be brilliant." He smiled brightly at me as the bell went for the end of lunch, my box of food untouched in my bag as I went to walk to PE, not looking away from my book. I had a note for PE, as I couldn't change in public changing rooms. "Oh, be careful. I broke my nose once, doing that."

I waved him off and spend the rest of the day bored out of my mind before going home. Until Mr Smith told mum and I that it was empty at Deffry Vale. Then headed back, me 'climbing' easily through a window and then helped her through. "Careful. There's a big drop."

"Thanks, baby." She smiled, righting herself before I then let her lead me through the corridors. It was awesome seeing a school at night, I'd never even done it at my proper one. "Did you see that?" And now we were running, reaching a set of doors to the gym before she turned to me. I so knew where this was going. "Stay here. Cover yourself behind the cupboards until I come back out, OK, Niara?"

"Mum-"

"No arguments! I'll just be a minute."

So I sighed and did as I was told, watching until some bloke went in and then went in a moment after. Only the dude turned around as I moved through the doors to go for him and he caught me. "Nia?"

Wait... I knew that voice. "Mr Smith? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. Sarah, why are you bringing along a kid?"

Only before mum could explain that I was her daughter, or that I could say I wasn't a kid, someone screamed and we all started to run towards it, the blonde dinner lady catching up with us. "Did you hear that?" Then she saw mum and I, me having trouble not moving too quickly. I was fast. "Who are they?"

"Rose, Sarah Jane and Niara. Sarah Jane and Niara, Rose."

Mum gave her a bitter smile because of the way she welcomed us. "Hi, nice to meet you. You can tell you're getting older, your assistants are getting younger."

"I'm not his assistant!"

Which made me laugh. "No? Get you, Mr Smith."

Then we found the source of the scream, some man covered in something from a cupboard. "Sorry! Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigated, so I started to look through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me."

"Oh, my God, they're rats." Rose breathed, looking at them all. "Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats."

"And you decided to scream." Mr Smith asked him. "Like a little girl?"

I folded my arms at him, still annoyed that I had no idea who this dude was. "Excuse me. Girl under the age of 15 here! Rat's aren't commonly dissected in schools any more. It's considered immoral and most kids just mess around. Mum, who the hell is this bloke?"

Mum put her arms around me as he stared, looking between us. "Niara, this is him. The man I told you stories of as a baby. This is the Doctor." My own eyes widened for a moment, feeling the hazelly brown I inherited from mum swap to the unnatural blue it was on occasion. "He's not just some bloke."

The Doctor saw Rose, who might have been his girlfriend, go to say something, so he started to do something else again. "Anyway. Moving on. Everything started when Mr Finch arrived. We should go and check his office."

We started walking, the two men behind us as I stood between mum and Rose. Which meant I was between a bitchfest. "I don't mean to be rude or anything," meaning the opposite, "but who exactly are you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith, this is my 14 year old Niara, Nia." Mum told her, holding my hand softly. "I used to travel with the Doctor."

"Oh, well he's never mentioned you."

The man in question tried to dig himself out. "Oh, I must have done. Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time."

She pretended to think. "Hold on. Sorry. Never."

Mum was having a great time trying to keep up with her in the heels I told her not to wear. Why go on a stealth mission wearing high heels? "What? Not even once? He didn't mention me one?" This was not going to end well.

I was left standing with Mickey and the Doctor as they walked off. "Did you have to upset her? Just because your misses doesn't like your ex, who isn't interested and has a daughter, doesn't mean you have to let them bitch it out." Then I followed my mother, my long light brown hair straight down my back, covering the marks I was born with.

They caught us up at the headmaster's office, the Doctor starting to use some weird blue thing to unlock the door. "Maybe those rats were food." Well what else were they going to be?

"Food for what?" Rose asked as mum made me stay behind her. Boring.

"Rose, you know how you used to think all the teachers slept in the school? Well they do."

I could just see over mums shoulder that there were 13 large bat creatures, more gothic versions of myself, hanging from the ceiling. Only then Mickey lost what little composure he had left from the scream and ran, leaving us to follow with a bit more dignity. "I am not going back in there. No way." Coward. I'd been doing things like this since I could walk.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him 7 new teachers, 4 dinner ladies and a nurse. 13. 13 big bat people." The Doctor told us, like I hadn't already worked it out for myself. "Come on."

Mickey stared at him. "Come on? You've got to be kidding!"

He wasn't. "I need the TARDIS. I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen." The TARDIS was actually real? Awesome!

"I might be able to help you there." Mum smiled, getting out her keys to unlock the car. "Niara and I have got something to show you." Could he fix him? Seriously?

His face lit up at the sight of my childhood best friend, from long before mum ever allowed me to leave the house. I was her precious baby faery, she wouldn't let me out of her sight. "K9! Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, allow me to introduce K9. Well, K9 Mark Three."

"Why does he look so disco?" Excuse you?!

"Oi!" The Doctor complained. "Listen, in the year 5000, this was cutting edge. What's happened to him?"

Mum shrugged as I fondly placed a hand on the dogs side. "Oh, one day, when Nia was about 6, just nothing. Not even she could fix him." I liked fixing things. Why did they break if they couldn't be repaired? "It's not like getting parts for a mini metro." I also missed that car. Stupid pot holes. "Besides, the technology inside him, we couldn't show him to anyone."

"Oh, what's the nasty lady and her spawn done to you, eh?"

I went to kick him for that spawn comment, but mum sent me a warning look as Rose spoke again. Boring. "Look, no offence," which, again, meant the opposite, "but could you 3 stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog, we're busy."

Mum drove us to the nearest late night coffee shop, me banished to the backseat as the Doctor sat at the front with her before we started to try and fix my friend. There was silence for a while as I got out my tool kit to help, before mum spoke. "I thought of you on Christmas Day. This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there. Niara wanted to go and look." I would have done, but you wouldn't let me.

"Right on top of it, yeah. And how? It was defended underneath."

"And Rose?" She asked, swapping my name for the annoying blondes, taking the subject off my inhuman side.

He nodded, watching my perfectly steady hand hold the soldering iron as he directed me. "She was there too."

"Did I do something wrong?" Mum asked abruptly, looking more insecure than I had ever seen before. "Because you never came back. You just dumped me."

"I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."

She looked right at him, but he was barely looking in her direction so I kicked him hard. My anger management sessions at school really didn't work very well. "Mum waited for you. She missed you. Every bedtime story she told me until I was 5 was about you so you can at least look at her!"

The Doctor finally did so, rubbing his chin. "You didn't need me. You were getting on with your life. You had your scary smart daughter, Niara."

"You were my life until I had Nia." She told him, his eyes fixed on her now. "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare those 17 years before Niara?"

"All those things, do you want me to apologise for that?"

Mum shook her head. "No, but we get a taste of that splendor, and then we have to go back." How many had there been like mum and Rose?

He was trying to dig himself out. "Look at you, investigating. Teaching Nia all the things you know. You found that school. You're doing what we always did."

"You could have come back. There were times..." Her hand drifted to my back, but I flinched and she moved it away again. I hated being touched, I avoided it if I could. "Nia couldn't have jabs or go to school until she was 7." But which point I was 4 times smarter anyway.

"I couldn't."

"Why not?" I asked him, my soldering iron sealing holes in K9's side but he didn't answer. "You didn't leave mum in Croydon, by the way. Where you dropped her off, it was Aberdeen."

Now he blinked, probably confused as to what I was. "Right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" Then K9 came back to life, making me beam. "Oh, hey. Now we're in business."

"Master. Mistress Niara."

He was getting very excited. "He recognises me, and you Nia!" K9 agreed. "Rose, give us the oil."

The bitchy blonde appeared next to us, making me glare at her, my eyes flashing blue. "I wouldn't touch it though. That dinner lady got all scorched."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I'm no dinner lady." Oh, there was a pun and a half waiting there. "And I don't say that often." Then smeared the stuff on the probe. "Here we go. Come on boy. Here we go."

"Oil. Ex, ex, extract. Ana, ana, analysing."

"Listen to him, man." Mickey laughed, making my glare move to him. "That's a voice."

Mum stopped me from kicking him now. "Careful. That's our dog. Nia, count to 10 and stop kicking." Boring. Where was my book?

Then K9 came back with an answer. "Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane oil." Like that helped sans Mr Smith.

"They're Krillitanes."

Rose frowned at him. "Is that bad?"

He nodded. "Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

I rolled my eyes. "A, that only just made sense. B, what are Krillitanes?"

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever" Well, everyone else here might have been. "The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognise them, the last I saw of them they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

Man he liked to keep talking. I prefered the written word.

"What're they doing here?"

Surely that was obvious, Rose? "They're doing something to the children."

We headed back to the car, Mickey giving me a hand to lift K9, not that I needed it, before we slid him into the boot. "So what's the deal with the metal dog?"

Shrugging, I fixed my hair, keeping it like a waterfall of melted chocolate down my back. "My mum said the Doctor likes travelling with an entourage. Sometimes they're human, like mum and Rose. Sometimes they're aliens. And sometimes they're tin dogs. What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?"

"Me? I'm their man in the van. I'm the technical support." Then it dawned on him. "I'm. Oh, my God, I'm the tin dog."

Only then something swooped down on at us, almost hitting me before mum rushed me out of the way, but then it moved on again. So I went to go after it, running to catch up but mum grabbed me. "Niara, no!"

"What was she going to do, free run like Assassin's Creed?" Rose scoffed, not looking impressed. I'd start by free running, but once I got high enough... It was more Legend of Zelda. "It didn't even touch her."

Now mum looked nervous as I gave her a small nod. We kinda needed to tell them. "Not here. we can't show you here."

Mickey frowned, but pointed somewhere in the distance. "My flat's just over there. We can go and talk out of the open."

To which I ended up standing under the bright lights of his living room, my hair pulled up and my shirt removed to show that under my bra straps were intricate, delicate wings I had slipped under the first few layers of my skin, the tail that did the same around my waist to stop people from seeing it. "That's what she could have done. Niara could have gone after it with those once she got high enough to glide."

"You're a Stryx." The Doctor realised, putting on a pair of glasses before touching the lines in my skin where they slipped through, then went under slightly. I hated people touching me, touching them. "This is incredible. You're kind are so rare." Wouldn't know. Mum was all I had."

"She's only half. Her father, Elijah, he got hurt crashing to Earth. I helped him recover and build his distress beacon to call home." Mum explained as I tried not to lash out in discomfort and anger. "We got, close, in that time, but I could never get the beacon to work again. When Niara was born with incredible wings and a tail... I knew that I couldn't tell anyone. She can almost fly for crying out loud!" Yeah, almost.

The Doctor's hands were still touching my wings, not noticing that my teeth were gritted and hands clenched. They were tender when they were like this, trapped beneath my skin and aching to be used. "Stryx are thought to be a myth. Barely anyone has ever seen one. Even I'd only met one or two myself, and you bedded one?!"

Only before mum could reply, my temper got the better of me and I pushed the Doctor back, my wings coming free to show that they weren't black, they were a pinkish purple with black through the middle, like a butterfly. They were also razor sharp when I wanted them to be.

My tail? My tail was always sharp and thin, breaking out and slicing through the air, catching the Doc's arm.

"Ow! Careful with that thing or you'll take an eye out, Nia!" He told me, not mad that I'd sliced him, but he was still bleeding. "Sorry. I didn't know it hurt you to have them touched like that. The Stryx I met always had them on show."

"It's fine." I muttered, my hair falling back down to sit between the delicate framework of thin, malleable bones and translucent skin. They were so thin, like paper but so strong that they were capable of keeping me off the ground. Just not enough to fly. "I just don't like people besides mum touching me in general. Or talking. I'm going to sit out on the balcony."

Then grabbed my bag to do just that, my wings retreating back into my skin and the tail going around my waist. I stayed out there for a while, my legs dangling over the edge of the 9 storey drop as I read my book. "Nia?" The Doctor asked a little while later, coming out to find me with a bandage on his own arm. "Nia, love, your mum sent me to come and get you, we're all staying with Mickey tonight."

I didn't look up from my book. "Tell her I'll be in when I've finished the chapter and that she should head to sleep first."

The man leaned over to look at the drop I was easily sitting out over and whistled. "Wow. Guess you're not afraid of heights?"

"I'm a girl with wings, what do you think?"

"Your mum said you couldn't quite fly yet though." He frowned, his dark brown eyes confused. "Have you not quite managed it yet?"

Shaking my head, I turned the page, not giving him my full attention. I never gave anyone my full attention. "She won't let me try. I think she's afraid that I'm going to leave her like my father did. Like you did."

The Doctor sighed and went to put a hand on my back, but then thought better of it. "It's complicated, Nia, it really is. But you do want to fly, I'm guessing? You want to use what you were born with?"

I finally put my book down, feeling my eyes turn blue again. Happened when I allowed myself to feel. "Of course I do. She named me after you, did you know that?" Which made him gape at me, like he was unsure what to say. "Not your real name, obviously, she doesn't know that, but Nia? Niara means Wanderer, like what you are. You wander through the stars, picking people up and then dropping them off like they never happened."

"That's not it at all. Look at you, 14 years old and you think you know how this all works." He shook his head, looking so sad now. All those years in his eyes, how old he must have been... "I'm the last of my kind, Nia. I make friends and keep them with me for whatever time I can. Some leave, some have died, and yes, some I have left behind, but only because it hurts too much to keep them with me as they slowly age towards death. I don't die. Just like there's a good chance that you won't."

But before I could question him, to ask him what the hell that meant, mum came out of the flat, and the subject was dropped like a stone in a lake.

The next morning we headed back to the school, mum driving us all before the Doctor started to tell us his plan. "Rose, Nia and Sarah, you go to the maths room. Crack open those computers. I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." And handed me the weird blue torch. "Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside? The freaking faery child can go in but I can't?"

Mum tossed him the car keys. "Here, take these. You can keep K9 company."

This was far too tempting. "Don't forget to leave the window open a crack."

"But he's metal!"

"I didn't mean it for him! Mum and I have to drive home in there!"

Rose got us back on topic as we left Mickey behind. "What're you going to do?"

He shrugged. "It's time I had a work with Mr Finch."

We parted ways and went to the maths room, mum trying to work what I got told was the sonic screwdriver. It was a fairly easy thing to design, but it was done in a way that would just get you caught because it was obvious. You needed one like a pen, or a lipstick. Something inconspicuous. "It's not working." So Rose took it off her and did it herself as I started to read. I never did anything but read. "Used to work first time in my day."

"Well things used to be a lot simpler back then."

Mum sighed as I tried not to pay attention to the bitching about to commence. "Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?"

"I have a feeling you're about to."

She kept going anyway. "I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I don't you to think we're intruding-"

"I don't feel threatened by you, if that's what you mean."

"Right, good. Because I'm not interested in picking up where we left off."

The blonde girl put down the sonic and faced my mother. "No? With the big sad eyes, the faery child and the robot dog?" Could people please stop calling me a faery? I'd rather be a dragon. "What else were you doing last night?"

"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth."

Which made her worse and I stood up, ready to defend my mother, even if I wasn't supposed to let my emotions show and control me. "Thing is, when you two'd met, they'd only just gotten rid of rationing. Now wonder you couldn't handle all that space stuff."

It was mums turn to grit her teeth. "I had no problem with space stuff. I saw things you wouldn't believe, my daughter is half alien!"

"Try me."

"Mummies.

"I've met ghosts."

"Robots. Lots of robots."

"Slitheen. In Downing Street."

"Daleks."

"Met the Emperor." Mum met the creator, Davros.

"Anti-Matter Monsters."

"Gas masked Zombies."

"Real living dinosaurs."

"Real living werewolf." Ugh, bad literature like Twi-Shite.

Mum finally pulled out the trump card. "The Loch Ness Monster!"

"Seriously?" Then Rose laughed a little. "Listen to us. It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only we fell out was over a bloke and we're arguing over the Doctor." Was that was you were doing? I just thought you were having the female equivelant of a dick contest. "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, 90mph, and you'd go what? and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

Which made mum laugh a little too. "All the time. Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

"Yeah! Yeah, he does. I'm like, do you two want to be alone?"

As they both started to laugh, I went back to my reading, the man himself coming in to find them both in the early stages of hysterics. "How's it going?" They laughed harder at his timely entrance. "What? Listen, I need to find out whats programmed inside these." They were really off on one, and I could see that the Doctor was getting self conscious. "What? Stop it."

They snapped out of it as a tannoy told us break was over early, meaning Rose turned some students away. The Doctor was tangled up in wires as he tried to get into the computer himself, but it wasn't working. So I started to help, my fingers a blur on the keyboard. "I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything?"

"Anything but a deadlock seal." Bit rubbish then, really. "There's got to be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids?"

Only as I started to click on things, a programmed started, my eyes fixing on the green light. "You wanted the programme? There it is."

"Some sort of code." Then it started to resolve, giving him what he needed to work it out. "No. No, that can't be. The Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to break the Skasis Paradigm."

"The Skasis what?"

"The God Maker." That really helped, thanks. "The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

Oh, I was definitely happy to be going back to Park Vale at the beginning of the next week, that was saying something. "What, and the kids are like some giant computer?"

He nodded. "Yes. And the learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer." Obviously didn't work for you. Cleverer wasn't a work, he should have said smarter.

Rose's eyes suddenly widened. "But that oils on the chips. I've been eating them."

"59x35?" I asked her, remembering Milo the day before.

"2065. Oh, my God." Not exactly a hard question, love.

Mum was holding me tight now, like she was scared that they were going to use me. Please, I was smart enough already. "Bit why use children? Can't they use adults?"

The Doctor shook his head, looking between mum and I. "No, it's got to be children. The God Maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code. They're using their souls." I was safe then. On many an occasion I'd been told I was soulless.

"Let the lesson begin." We all turned to look at Mr Finch, who'd moved into the room as silently as, well, me. "Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mr Finch?" He asked, standing tall in front of us. Not exactly hard with mum and I, we were tiny. "Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

Finch seemed bemused by that. "You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order? Think of the changes that could be made if the power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?"

He shook his head, getting philosophical. I hated philosophy, all it did was make me think even more and I got stuck in my head. I was detached enough from reality as it was. "No, someone like you. The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Assinta, Stryxa." What? Stryxa, my fathers world? "Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn."

This was not going to end well. "Doctor, don't listen to him."

Only this drew his attention to mum, Rose and I. "And you could be with him through eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die. You, young Stryx, you could find your father. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. How lonely you will become, young Niara. Join us."

"I could save everyone." The Doctor breathed, while I felt anger burning through me like nothing ever had before, my wings itching to come out and play while my tail was already thrashing through the air. "I could stop the War."

"No." I snapped, stepping next to him as I let my emotions win, just this once, my wings shimmering in the green light of the screens. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, and anger, they define us as much as happiness, or love, or bliss. Whether it's a world or a relationship, and this may be a childish thing to say, but everyone has it their time, and everything ends."

There was a pause, before my words reached the Doctor and he threw a chair at the screen on the wall, smashing it. "Out!"

We started to run, making the stairs before I just jumped the balcony, my wings making me glide easily to the ground as Mickey and some random kid appeared. "What's going on?"

He ran into the canteen with us, the boy staring as we were followed in by a bunch of bats. "Are they my teachers?"

"Yeah." The Doctor told him. "Sorry."

"We need the Doctor and Niara alive." Finch yelled to his fellows. "As for the others, you can feast."

"Or not!" I yelled, grabbing a broom and started to whack at them, before taking a running start to get myself partly in the air and stab one through the wing with a butter knife. Then K9 started to help, everyone else just using chairs. "K9!"

My best friend was still covering us as mum grabbed my hand. Almost flying... I wanted to almost never land when I wasn't with her. "Suggest you engage running mode, Mistresses."

"Come one!" The Doctor called, ushering us through some doors. "K9, hold them back!" Then we were locked in the physics room, the Doctor pacing, but I was smiling. I hadn't smiled like this, properly enjoying myself, since I was about 7 years old. Since mum got me to always hide my wings and control my emotions. It was so incredible to feel... "It's the oil. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it! They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them." Now he looked at Rose. "How much was there in the kitchens?"

The girl had so much faith in him. "Barrels of it."

Krillitanes started to bang against the door. "OK, we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey."

"What now, hold the coats?"

Doctor Smith didn't hesitate. "Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bat, bats. How do we fight bats?"

So Kenny, who had probably wanted to do this his whole life, set off the fire alarm. K9 joined back up with us in the canteen, then Mickey went upstairs, before we went into the kitchens. We just couldn't open the barrels. "They've been deadlock sealed. Finch must have done it. I can't open them and it would take too long to get Nia's tail through."

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser. But my batteries are failing."

He looked at K9 as I worked out what was about to happen, but he spoke before I could. "Right, everyone out the back door. Nia, stay with your mum, K9, with me."

And mum dragged me with her, going too fast for me to tell her we were about to lose K9 all over again. Only I slipped out and started to run back, colliding with the Doctor as he came out the building. "We need to run, Nia."

"Where is K9?" I demanded, but he started to drag me as well. "What have you done?!"

The two of us made it into the school yard just as the school building exploded, taking my best friend with it. "I'm sorry."

Whatever. Not like he was the only thing I'd had as a friend for my entire life. "It's alright. He was just a daft, metal dog. It's fine, really."

Only I just started to cry for the first time since I was 4 years old and told that I wouldn't be going to school like all the other children I saw outside my bedroom window, playing and having fun. I 369was different, I'd learnt to accept that, but it didn't mean that at times it didn't hurt. Both mum and the Doctor tried to comfort me, my wings hiding themselves away as I clung to my mother, for once feeling as young as I was. 13, but how long was I going to live for?

I composed myself in the end, and pretty soon we were meeting him in Belle Vue park, where a blue box was parked. I didn't look up from my book as we approached, wanting to keep my mind submerged in the fictional world of fantasy over the reality around me. Too many distractions from my emotionless ways. "Cup of tea?"

We followed him in, and even I was gobsmacked by how big the interior was, transfixed by the corals and organic styling. This place was alive, you could hear her humming... "You've redecorated."

"Do you like it?"

"Oh, I, I do." Mum laughed, wrapping her arms around my to kiss my head. "Yeah, I prefered as i was, but, er, yeah. It'll do." It'll do?! This place was incredible!

Rose made herself known, reminding us of her claim over the Doctor. "I love it."

Mum just smiled at her, still holding me in case I wandered off and got lost. Please, I'd wander off and find the library in here. "Hey, you, what's 47x369?" Easy.

"No idea. It's gone now, the oils faded."

"17343."

"Yes, but you're just a show off." Rose told me, before looking to the driver of this vehicle. "Doctor?"

The man hesitated a little. "Er, we're about to head off, but you could both come with us. Find your dad, Nia."

Yes. A thousand times, yes. "No." Mum! "I can't do this anymore. I've got Niara to think of." Niara could look after herself. "Besides, we've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and started to think just of my baby girl." Not a baby.

"Can I come." We all looked at Mickey in confusion. "No, not with you. I mean with you. Because I'm not the tin dog and I want to see what's out there."

Everyone deserved a chance at seeing other worlds. "Go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane and Niara Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board."

"OK then. I could do with a laugh." Because that was really a good way to help his self esteem.

"Rose, is that OK?"

It quite clearly wasn't, but she lied anyway. "No, great. Why not?"

"Well, we'd better go."

Only now she wanted mums advice. "What do I do? Do I stay with him?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for. Find us, if you need to, one day. Find us." Then we walked out again, the Doctor smiling at us like he was hiding a surprise. "It's daft, but I haven't ever thanked you for that time. And like I said, I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Something to tell your grandkids, the little Fledglings when Niara has them." If I had them. I was still undecided, I mean, who could I trust me secret to? To let them see my wings and risk my razor sharp tail. "I meant to ask, there's not been, you know, anyone?"

"Well there was one guy. Long before Niara and Elijah. I travelled with him for a while, but him and Lijah were tough acts to follow. Goodbye, Doctor."

He shook his head, completely in denial. "Oh, it's not goodbye."

How could you ever know? Because even with time travel, you could never be completely sure what the next day held. "Say it this time. Please, Doctor, for mum." I told him, my finger gently holding the page open of Ill Wind, the book I was reading. "Say it."

"Goodbye, my Sarah Jane." Then he lifted her up with a giant hug and hugged me next, careful to avoid my wings. "Goodbye, little Wanderer."

Then as he went back into the TARDIS, I put my nose back into my book and went to turn away as the bright blue box left. Only mum stopped me with a laugh of joy and I put it down again to see my best friend where it had been. "K9!"

"Mistress Niara."

"But you were blown up."

The dog moved forwards so I could hug him. "The Master rebuilt me. My systems are improved with new undetectable hyperlink facilities."

Mum was still laughing. "Oh, he replaced you with a brand new model." K9 agreed. "Yeah, he does that. Come on, you two. We've got work to do, and you, baby, have a room to tidy."

Dammit.


	2. The Brother I Never Wanted

Ugh, we had new neighbours.

A girl maybe a year younger than me tried to say hi to us as we got out of the car, my nose still in a book, but we just brushed her off, going inside to prepare for that night. Something I'd been looking forward to all day.

Perfectly on time, the incredible figure came to meet us, her voice singing around us as my wings fluttered in the safety of our back garden. Once we have her what she needed to get home, she gifted me a small shield shaped device, to use if we ever wanted help from her in her area of expertise in return.

Then she was gone and we headed to bed. Well, mum did, I just read. I didn't need sleep, I just needed to dream in my own little world, lost in fiction instead of reality.

In the morning, while mum got ready for our 'interview', with our next person of interest, I headed out to the post box to send something to the Pharos Institute. Mum was trying to dissuade them from getting involved with UNIT, or even Torchwood. We needed more scientists, not people shooting guns. My nose was still in my book, but for some reason the other girl still decided to talk to me. "Er, hi. We moved in opposite. I'm Maria Jackson."

"Hello."

Hoping that was the end of that, I went to go to the passenger side of the door, but her dad came over instead. Must have been nice having a dad. "Hi! Hello there. Nice to meet you. I'm Alan Jackson." Didn't honestly care, mate.

"Er, I hope you're not going to make too much noise." Mum told him, running interference as I refused to put my book down. "It's just I work from home and my daughter is somewhat... She doesn't take well to being disturbed, as I don't."

"OK, nice to be made welcome."

So mum tried to be a little less frosty. Good luck with that. "Sorry. Sarah Jane Smith, this is my Niara." Did you have to use my full name? Only you called me Niara.

Then his daughter and Kelsey from the year below wet to head off so Alan looked at them in confusion. "Where are you going, exactly?"

"Bubbleshock factory."

Mum and I exchanged a worried look over the top of my book, Alan still talking. "Anyway, I'm sure we'll get along just fine. It's just me and Maria, like you and Niara I expect. Bit of a divorce and that. Don't worry, it's all been sorted. There's no shouting. So, what kind of work do you do?" Only we were now getting into the car. "Really? Really. Well. Must be fascinating."

Alan dodged to the side as we drove off, then we followed the bus Maria and Kelsey were on at at a distance befor speeding up to get through the gates after them. I could have gone over them but a, I couldn't take mum, and b, it was broad daylight.

The tour tannoy said no wandering off, but like true friend's of the Doctor's, we didn't listen and followed the no admittance signs all the way to the interesting stuff. "I knew it." Mum smiled at me, looking up from the scanner watch, something I got bored and made.

"Come on, this way." I told her, taking out my still experimental device, the sonic lipstick. Much easier to slip it into your bag and take with you. Only as I opened the CPM Switch door, we were greeted by two men in orange overalls. "Oops."

We were taken to the boss lady's room and I started to read again, letting mum take over things. Only we were handed tea, instead of prosecution papers. Much more of a coffee person, me. "Thank you. That's very kind."

"Think of yourselves as our guests." Was that why there were armed guards hiding just out of sight for a typical human?

"We weren't breaking in, I was just trying to reach someone in charge and my daughter is here on her work experience. I phoned about 100 times, but no one would talk to me."

The woman must have smiled because I felt a little sick instead of amused at what I was reading. Someone having his toupé ripped off was definitely amusing. "I've seen the list. Phone calls, emails. Miss Sarah Jane Smith and her daughter Nia certainly like to make their presence felt." I'd show you where you presence could be felt.

Mum smiled a little, taking out a notebook. "Do you mind if I take notes?"

"Not at all." She smiled back, completely bitter. "And since you've been so bold, let's make this an official interview."

"And it is Mrs Wormwood?"

She agreed and I snorted a little. "That's in the Bible, Wormwood. The Book of Revelations, 8:11. Read it when I was 5. At the end of the world, it describes a star falling to Earth and turning all the water bitter, poisoning it at the very beginning of the Apocalypse. A star called Wormwood."

Wormwood just looked at me, so I looked back, the ethereal blue almost unnerving her, but she looked away to mum, so I put my nose back in to find out what was happening to the main character. "Fascinating. Shall we move on to business?"

"I've got contacts in the city. They said it was like this company dropped in from nowhere. And normally, it takes years of tests to get approval from the EU to market a new foodstuff. You got it in two weeks."

"All we're doing is satisfying a need."

I snorted again, finding this amusing. "Which is? We have rather a lot of drink brands already."

She didn't look at me, just mum. "The people are hungry, Miss Smith, Niara. For new food, new drinks, new tastes. All the western world does is eat. All day, every day, eating.They gorge, feast, chew and bite, everything sweet, hot, cold and sticky." Well, that was a verbal paradox. Hot and cold at the same time didn't make sense. "Food and drink. Just food and drink. That's the human race. They devour. Who are we to deny them?"

Mum kept writing. "So you invented Bane?"

"The Bane in Bubbleshock isn't new, Miss Smith. Oh, no. It's very, very old. Come and see." She showed us to a screen, not that I looked up from what Joanne Baldwin was doing with her Djinn boyfriend. "For all the hype, Bane is completely natural, 100% organic."

Didn't really answer any questions. "Yes, but organic what?"

"Oh, now, don't be silly." I wasn't silly, I was bored by your squiddy face. Image disruptors, blech. "I can hardly give away our recipe."

"I checked with some scientists I know." Mrs Wormwood didn't sound very interested. "They tried to analyse a bottle of Bubbleshock."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, what's the point of analysis? It's all chemicals and sweetness and E numbers. The test of a drink is in the tasting. Have you tried it?"

Disgusting. I'd stick to coffee. "Oh, no. Definitely not."

"But you must! Lesly!" Her assistant, also a squiddy lady, brought a couple of bottles in. "I insist. A good journalist and her trainee should submit to the complete experience. Drink Bubbleshock, Miss Smith's, drink deep!"

Mum almost gave in, but I made a show of blocking the bottles with Heat Stroke, my book. "Or not. I'd rather die."

The bitter smile was back, making me want to gag. I honestly hated image disruptors, once I looked away the image changed to what they wanted it to be in my head, so I forgot what they'd looked like for reals. "Well, we can't have that."

"But these scientists, they said that Bane behaves very oddly when they try to test it, as if it's resisting the analysis." I told her, finally taking an interest. "And nothing could do that. At least, nothing on Earth."

Mrs Wormwood knew we knew then, the bluff we'd played many a time. "What exactly are you suggesting, Niara? That Bane originated in outer space?"

I gave her my own bitter smile, the hazel of my eyes covering over that blue once more, freaking her out. They did that a lot. "Of course, not. That would be ridiculous."

"Wouldn't it though." Then got back to her point. "Go ahead and print your story, by all means. But consider your career and your daughter." OK, I was bored again now. "Are you going to expose this as some kind of alien plot? You'll be considered insane." Nothing new there.

Mum just shrugged. "We don't care what people think of us. Never have. We just want to find out the truth." And always did.

"But at such a cost." Then changed tack a little. "I take it, Miss Smith, that you're a single mother?" Mum agreed. "No children, besides the lovely, elfin, Niara?" Shut up about my pointy ears, not my fault.

Her hand went to my shoulder in instinct. "She's my only child, yes." One of me was enough. Trust me, the house was slowly filling with books.

Mrs Wormwood seemed pleased. "Such a wasted life. Miss Smith and Niara are leaving. Lesley will show you out."

Without looking up, I followed mum and the other squid lady before trying a little reverse psychology. "Oh, and by the way, what planet do you come from?"

"Nice try." Worth a shot.

Once we were in the lift, I slipped a small compact mirror onto the front of my book, watching Lesley carefully as she touched the earpiece she was wearing. Then tapped my nose twice, giving mum a signal. So she elbowed her hard in the stomach, giving us a chance to pelt it out of the lift. We were good as a team.

My tail uncoiled itself at some point along the way, whipping the air dangerously as we ran, mum leading the way before we ducked through to hide in some toilets. Only, Maria from over the road and some random boy in his pyjamas were in there too, so I tried to hide my tail. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you two the same!" OK, she had a point.

"Who's he?" Mum asked, looking carefully at the boy who seemed transfixed by my face and back. Weirdo. "What have they done to you?"

The Boy moved to look at her. "I knew I had to get away.!

No shit, Sherlock. "Yeah, well that goes for all of us. Window. I'll boost you all through and then I'll climb."

They didn't argue before I then dropped down easily myself and ran after them. "Come on, this way." Mum told them softly as I made sure that we weren't being followed. We reached the car and mum ushered them to get into the back. I didn't do the back. "Move, get in."

"But my friend's in there." Maria insisted, for some reason thinking that the bitch Kelsey was her friend. "I only just met her this morning but I can't just leave her."

"Well, the bus has gone. Maybe she was on the bus. Now get in."

"I can't!" The gates were closing now, so I quickly zapped them with the lipstick, making them open again. "What's that thing?"

Something I hoped the Doctor would never take offence to. "Sonic lipstick. Now get your tiny ass in there!" Wormwood had definitely realised we were out of the building now, alarms blaring out here. "Move!"

She finally listened and I got in the front next to mum as we sped off. Maria, annoyingly, didn't stop asking questions the whole time, not even when we pulled up the drive. "But who is he? What was he doing in that factory? What were they doing in there?"

Someone needed to shut her up. "Just leave it. You go home, Maria, I can handle things with Nia from now on."

"But there's something going on!" Maria cried as mum ushered the Boy towards the house. "I saw you both last night."

"What did you say?" I asked, feeling my wings aching to come out.

The girl knew there was no backing down now. "With that thing in your garden. And, and your wings, Niara."

Mum stole a glance at me, before stepping towards her. "Now listen to me, Maria. Our life is dangerous, and rule one, we don't put anyone else in danger. Especially a kid."

"I' not a kid. Nia is my age!" A year older and an alien. Well, half.

"Maria, just go back home." I told her firmly, my hazel eyes staring into hers. "You watch telly, you do whatever it is you do. You live your life as normal. You forget that any of this happened. Have you got that? You stay away from my mum and me, for your own sake."

Then we headed inside and mum went to make tea, coffee and snacks, I sat in the same room as the Boy, reading as he looked at everything we'd collected from around the world. "But you must have a name." Mum insisted, coming in with the tray. "If I'm Sarah Jane and that's my Niara, then you're-"

He didn't let her finish. "All I know is I had to run."

"But you can talk." I pointed out, using my tail to grab a biscuit from the tray without mum noticing. Loved my tail. "Someone must have taught you. Who was it?"

"Everyone."

Mum frowned a little. "What does that mean, everyone?"

"I am everyone. And then I had to run. The girl came, Maria, and then you two."

This was getting weird and I'd read Coraline when I was 9, I understood weird. "Well, think back. Before you ran, what do you remember?"

The Boy just shrugged. "I was born running."

"But you must have a home."

He looked around from the artefacts to the piles of books I'd read, or had yet to read. "Is this your home, Nia?" I nodded, still half submerged in a world of fiction. "Can I live here?"

I was not sharing a bedroom and mum knew I didn't play well with others. "No, I don't think so. Sorry. Niara is enough of a mess maker." I'm sorry, but who was the one buying me the books instead of letting me go to the library? "Help yourself."

His attention now moved to the tray as I took my own coffee mug, a purple one saying 'Princess of Darkness'. Mum thought it was funny because I drank coffee 4 shades blacker than my soul. "Is this food?"

What kind of idiot didn't know that? "Food and drink."

"Which is which?" Then Mr Smith called for us. "Who's that?"

Smooth, you stupid computer. "No one. I left my TV going." I didn't have a TV or have any desire to own one, but it was a good excuse all the same.

"There was a voice and it said your names."

"Not there wasn't." Mum said quickly, before slamming the door as Mr Smith called for us again. "Not now!"

"I thought it was just you two who lived here."

I nodded, sipping from my mug. "We do. Whatever happens, you're not to go upstairs. Have you got that? It's private. You don't ever go upstairs, unless we say so."

He watched me for a moment, like he was trying to see who I was. No one ever got close enough to find out. "You don't trust me." Evidently.

Mum sighed. "We don't even know you. Hold on. Now, don't be afraid." Then scanned him with the watch as I kept reading. "No alien. A normal, healthy lad. Human." Unlike your own daughter. "Aging rate normal, but this says you were born 360 years ago.2

To which I looked up and moved over to look myself. "No. You were born 360 minutes ago."

The Boy just smiled at us, not understanding. "Is that good or bad?"

We kept looked at the results until I realised that he'd picked up my copy of Beauty by Robin Mckinley, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that was far better than the original. And he was reading it, when he'd barely known how to speak an hour before. "You can read?"

"I can now."

"You just learnt?"

He nodded with a smile. "It's easy. Letters and words." It was a hard book. The words were ones that sometimes even I'd used a dictionary for.

Mum took the book and handed it to be carefully. "Forgive me, but if you don't mind, could you just lift up your top so I can see your stomach." Which he did and we both stared as we saw a lack of naval, something even I had. "You've got no belly button."

"Is that good or bad?"

I shook my head, struggling to think of possible reasons for it not being there. "I don't know, but everyone who's born has got a belly button."

"Why not me?"

Exchanging a look with mum, I shrugged so she said her thought. "Sorry, but I don't think you were born. I think you were grown."

Only then there was a banging on the door, Maria calling for us instead of Mr Smith. "Sarah Jane, Nia! Open up, it's Maria!"

With a growl of frustration, I stormed to the front door, glaring at her and Kelsey. "We told you, leave us alone!"

"But it's the man from the factory. He's on the street, he's here!"

Then Kelsey screamed, seeing the squid thing coming towards us. "Inside. Get in. Mum, there's a weird Cthulhu monster coming right for us!"

"What?!" She yelled, coming out of the lounge to look with the Boy. "Careful, bar the door!"

Mother! "I'm already pressed against it, what more can I do?!"

The Boy smiled at the two girls now in my home. "Hello, Maria. Hello, Screaming Girl."

I was not strong enough for this. "Mum, get them upstairs!"

"We're not allowed."

Oh, shut up! "We're allowing you! Just run!" Mum shouted, ushering them up before the door was ripped off behind me, making me slash my tail at the squid now on the ceiling. "Nia, baby, come on!"

They were nearly at the attic by the time I could run, so jumped up easily to scale the to the top, mum already fetching the sun spray. "Stay behind me! Mum, any day now!"

"You will die, Niara Smith. You, your mother and the squealing pigs." My tail was waving in the face of the other three as I kicked at the creature, moving too fast for it to catch me. "First the children, then you, faery girl and then you, old woman."

"Hey! Less of the old!" Mum shouted, coming out with the spray that caused the creature to retreat and morph back into the human form. "Baby, get back."

I did as I was told, taking the now empty canister to shake it. "Pity, that was the last one."

Once the front door, the one that hadn't been ripped off, slammed, mum went down to the residual black slime, scooping it up with a pencil as Maria followed. "What's going on? Your daughter has a tail as well as wings?"

"Maria, don't get involved." I told her, giving up on keeping hidden as they'd already seen the tail and my long hair was off the thin lines of my delicate wings, so they were on show as well. "It's not something you want to know."

"I think it's a little bit too late for that." She smiled weakly. "Thanks. You saved our lives."

Guess that wasn't so boring. "Suppose we did."

"Oh, my flipping heck!"

"Kelsey!" I yelled, losing it big time as I moved at high speed into the attic, my wings barely staying down. "Who the hell said you could come up here? Don't touch anything!"

Maria was staring at a detailed analysis of my wings on the wall, transfixed by the intricate bone structure. "These things, are they alien?"

Mum shrugged. "Some of them. That was too see how many bones in there."

"Where's you get them?"

There was a long sigh as I gave up and unfurled my wings, letting them flutter softly before sitting gently down on my back. "I supposed you've seen too much now. It's not as if anyone's going to believe you, especially about Nia's wings. Aliens are falling to Earth all the time. It's not just the ones you hear about on the news. All sorts of creatures. Some have got lost, like the one you saw us sending home last time. Some of them crash land, like Niara's father did, and some of them want to invade. You still believe us?"

"Yes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? How come?"

Maria shrugged. "Because you're a bonkers faery who is the biggest bookworm I've ever met, but I don't think you or your mum are liars."

Which made mum laugh a little. "Oh, well, that's nice to know. No, except about the bonkers bit." I was bonkers, and we both knew it, mother.

The Boy, who had also been looking at my wings, smiled at us. "This place is beautiful. Your wings are stunning, Niara."

With the compliment, they fluttered again, making me smile a little. "Thank you."

"No so bad yourself, fella."

"What does that mean?"

Kelsey grinned, making me glare at her. "Oh, he's mine."

He now looked at me, moving closer. "Is that good or bad?"

This was annoying, when did I get delegated supernanny? "Bad. Stay away."

"It's just you two, though. On your own."

"The government knows about most aliens, like they know ever so slightly about Niara. Then there are secret organisations dedicated to finding them, but they tend to go in guns blazing." Mum sighed, sitting down on the steps with me. "We just think there's a better way of doing things." Though Torchwood 3 seemed OK. I liked Toshiko.

Maria sat down on the other side of mum. "But how'd you get started? Was it Nia's dad?"

She shook her head, her arms wrapped around me. That was always more for her benefit than mine, mum was always scared to lose me. "No, before him. I met this man. A very special man, called the Doctor. And years ago, long before I had Nia, I travelled with him."

"In space."

"Space, and Time." Mum smiled, liking that she was able to tell this story to someone other than me or Uncle Alistair, who already knew it all. "And then it came to an end, and suddenly I was back to a normal life. Electricity bills, burst pipes, bus tickets and rain, and then suddenly I even had a baby."

The gobby girl rolled her eyes. "She is completely loop the loop, and we already knew that about Nee Naw Nia."

At the use of the nickname everyone at school gave me, because they thought that I was certifiably insane, I got to my feet and hissed at her, causing her to back away from my thrashing tale. "There you go, do you see? Who can we talk to about it? For years, mum tried to forget, and then we met him and he was just as incredible as she'd always said. They'd both changed, but mum said it was funny because they were both still the same. And then we learn that we could carry on here, on Earth, doing what they always did. So here we are. The Stryx Halfling and her mum."

"And the Bubbleshock factory." Maria nodded, still listening. "It's run by aliens."

Kelsey scoffed at that. "Alright, everyone's an alien. You, me, the Pope, James Blunt." Actually, I can believe that one."

"Hey, Kelsey, you saw it. That great big alien creature."

"I saw a muffin in a suit." Oh, what was the use? "Like in films. It's pretend."

Then something started to beep, making me laugh and run to the safe. "Mum, he's circled back!" And opened it to show K9, out in the middle of space, doing what best he could. "There was a scientific project in Switzerland. They created their own black hole. If it gets free, the Earth would be swallowed up, so K9's sealing it up."

"Greetings, Mistress Niara, Mistress Sarah Jane."

"K9 as in canine?" Kelsey laughed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, that is lame."

Mum shrugged, grabbing my arm before I went to punch her. "He's been in there for a year and a half now, plugging the distortion, and every so often he passes our way. Niara, you hit her, you don't get to read for a week." Boring.

"Your best friend's a metal dog with it's bum stuck in a black hole?"

I was hitting this girl, books or no books on the line, but mum was still holding me. "I know. Why do you think Nia isn't exactly sociable?" Because I couldn't let myself feel powerful emotions? "How are you, K9? How do you feel?"

"Misunderstanding of the functional nature of this unit, Mistress Sarah Jane. I do not feel. However, all circuits are functioning at full capacity."

Maria smiled at him a little. "Can you ever come out, K9?"

Hang on, he didn't speak to strangers. "Oh, K9, this is Maria."

"Greetings, young Mistress." He told her, his tail wagging. "I cannot emerge until this breach is sealed."

"How long will that take?"

My best friend couldn't even guess. "I cannot estimate the duration of this task."

Kelsey was still being bitchy. "What's he eat, nuts and bolts?"

"The small female is hostile."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Don't listen to her, K9."

"Regret, I must transfer my co-ordinates, Mistresses."

No, please... "Bye bye, K9. Good dog."

His tail wagged again. "Affection noted, Mistress Niara."

Then mum closed the safe as he teleported off. "How long's he gone for?" Maria asked as I picked up my book again, burying my nose so that I didn't have to pretend how lonely I was without him.

"We don't know, but my Nia misses him especially." Mum sighed, stroking my hair fondly. "And don't you laugh, Kelsey Hooper, but he was our dog. Our daft little metal dog. And now, we're on our own."

Silence fell about the room then, making me just sit and read at the desk, briefly watching mum start to concoct some foul smelling potion. "What's this then?" Maria asked me, picking up the small device Starava had given to me the night before.

"It's some sort of communicator. It was a gift from the person you saw last night." I told her, not looking up. "She said if we ever needed help, we could use it to call her."

"Then lets call her."

Not the best of plans. "She meant help with poetry. She was a Star Poet from Arcateen 5. Last I checked, that isn't much use. Unless you want to rhyme trouble with double."

The Boy stepped closer, his nightclothes just getting weird now. "Let me see?"

I nodded, not seeing any harm. "He knows nothing of the world. Everything's new to him, like those aliens created them."

"He's their child."

"But he's still human." Mum told her, taking the device as it started beeping. "I don't like people touching mine or Nia's things."

He was still looking around the room, before pointing to mums watch. "That device on your wrist, it detects alien life." She nodded. "Then what's it detecting now?"

"How do you mean?" Mum finally realised it was bleeping infuriatingly. "He's right."

"There might be another one of those things out there?"

Shaking my head, I started to read one handed as I moved mums arm closer to Kelsey, then the bottle of Bubbleshock she had stupidly been drinking. "It's a vile concoction. It's alive, I'm guessing. Probably that Bane ingredient, alien even."

Mum took over now, starting to squint at the screen. "This is the secretion of. I need glasses." I had been telling you that for years. "a Bane Mother. There's a piece of living Bane inside every bottle of Bubbleshock."

"I've been drinking that stuff, and it's alien?"

"I thought you didn't believe in aliens?" I asked her, looking at her over the top of my book. "Stupid as you're in a room with a girl who has wing and a razor sharp tail."

Kelsey glared at me. "Oh, you can shut up, Nee Naw. I've got things from outer space living in my stomach. What are you going to going to do about it?"

Like that was really our problem. "It's not our fault."

"Yeah?" She asked, getting hysterical. "You've got all this stuff, all these gadgets, and you sit here, talking, yapping on all day about planets and monsters. What good is that? why don't you actually do something?"

Really? You thought this was nothing? "Mr Smith?"

"Yes, Niara?"

Mum nodded at me, taking my hand. "We need you." And then he came out to his usual fanfare, making us smile at the other three in the room. "Mr Smith's a computer. mr Smith, we want a direct visual link to Mrs Wormwood at the Bane factory. Can you get co ordinates?"

"Accessing." Guessing that was a yes.

Maria looked impressed. "What, you can just phone her up?"

I nodded, folding my hair into a pinless topknot. It just got in the way otherwise. "Mr Smith can hack into anything. He's teaching me."

"But why do you want to talk to them?"

Mum shrugged. "Because we want to be fair."

"013457689014658757562987032105-5"

Wow. And I thought the IT Crowd number was long.

"Visual link connecting."

"Mrs Wormwood." I called, the woman, or squid, now walking into sight. "Thank's for the assassination attempts."

The smile got worse. "My pleasure. The next one will involve harpoons and butterfly nets." Seriously? I was a Stryx, not Tinkerbelle. Did I look small and dainty?

...Don't answer that.

"We know who you are and what you are." Mum told her firmly. "Bane. Now leave this planet."

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you declaring War?"

War was boring. It was predictable and people always got hurt. I liked to make people cry but only by insulting their intelligence with words they didn't understand. "Mrs Wormwood, the universe is huge and Earth is so small. You don't need to do this. I', asking you, as a mother, one species to another, just leave this world. Leave us in peace."

"And if i dont'?"

Surely that was obvious? "Then we'll have to do something."

Only it had the opposite effect, because she wasn't afraid. "Very well. In the language of your young ones, bring it on."

Honestly, I was offended. "I, I don't, we don't say that." She just hung up though. "That didn't go well."

"How are you going to stop them?"

I picked up my book with a shrug. "You tell us."

"What? Do you mean you haven't got a plan, nothing?"

"No. The people we fight have plans and weapons, but we don't. It's what makes us different." Mum sighed, stroking my hair softly. "I want to teach Nia a better way."

Really? "I'm already certain I don't like guns. They're boring and too loud. Swords, especially Katana's, are cool though. I can swordfight."

Mum went to say something, but suddenly the Boy was pointing at Kelsey, who looked like she was having period cramps. "Help me."

"There's pain killer in the desk." Maria shoved me so I sighed and looked at Mr Smith. "Oh, OK, it's starting. You should probably fight it, or whatever I'm supposed to say." Only she then just gave in and held out the bottle like a drugs pusher. "Out, quickly, out!"

Shoving me out first, mum started to unlock the car. "We've got to get to the factory."

Maria stood her ground. "I'm coming with you."

I was not in the mood to put up with people. "You're staying here." Only her dad was also a possessed zombie. "We can't help them. The only thing we can do is get to the factory. Now get in the car, before I change my mind and leave you here."

"This is bad, yes?" The Boy asked, sitting in the back with Maria. "I recognise bad."

"What are we going to do?"

Mum was pretty calm, though she was speeding. Mum never went about 40mph unless the world was ending, which it might have been. "Maria, there are two types of people in the world. People who panic, and there there;s us. You got that?"

She agreed while mum swerved to avoid the zombies, proving her abilities as a great driver. "Maria, you stay here with him." I told her, trying to use the sonic on the doors. "Crap. They've got a deadlock seal. I now know how the Doctor felt, remind me to email him an apology. We can't get in."

Maria glanced back at the zombies at the gates before the locked doors. "We can't go back and we can't get in. What do we do?"

Which made mum shake her head, shoulder length hair a few shades lighter than mine swishing softly. "No. There's got to be a way of getting in, there's got to be. What do I do? Oh, come on, Doctor, help me, think." Her eyes fixed on the bright orange bus. "Yes."

So we climbed on and mum went at full speed through the wall of the factory, right into the base of operations. "Not too late for the party?" I asked, leading the way off the bus, hoping that Maria and the Boy would stay put. Mrs Wormwood was baring her teeth though. "We warned you. Leave this planet."

She still wasn't scared. "Have you met my mother?"

We stared in shock at the size of the creature in the roof, my tail hanging limply as I realised that we were screwed. "Leave them alone!"

"We told you to stay on board!" I groaned as Maria stormed off the bus, the Boy following after. "Brilliant. Babysitting."

"Oh, you've brought us the Archetype."

"He's a thinking, living human." Mum told her, eyes wide in fear for all of us. "And you created him. What for?"

Mrs Wormwood shrugged. "He's an assembly of thousands of different humans. A Montage you might say. A collage. On every tour of the factory we'd scan the guests, and then we fed every strength, every weakness into him. The Archetype."

The Boy moved closer to my side, obviously scared to go near his creators. "I am Everyone."

My tail twitched in anger, realising how he was learning so fast. In just a year, he could easily surpass even me. "But why?"

"The 2% that wouldn't touch Bane. The Archetype could tell us how to modify our product. But since we've advanced our plans, he is no longer needed."

She did something to her ring, and suddenly he collapsed, making me catch him quickly and lower him to the ground. Mum was starting to get desperate. "He's only a boy, and that is my daughter. I'm begging you, let them and Maria go."

"Oh, that's so sweet." She patronised. "But he's dying in your own childs arms, and soon you will join him, like all our enemies. Our slave control is activated around the world. The time of man," and woman, "is over. The time of Bane is come." That was really bad grammar. Wow, that, that, well done, GG. "You've failed Miss Smith's. This is where your lonely lives have led you."

"Except they're not on their own. They've got me." And Maria showed mum her phone as I remembered seeing the Archetype pocket the communicator before we left. I may not remember all of those numbers after only one showing, but I knew someone who would. "And I've got this."

The whirr of it made the Bane Mother retreat, but it wasn't enough. I pressed the starphone into his hands, my hazel eyes flashing brilliant blue at him. "Remember all those numbers Mr Smith said aloud?" He nodded at me. "On my signal, type them in as fast as you can."

He nodded at me, making me get to my feet, the pink and purple of my wings shining softly in the low light of the factory. "You've forgotten something. Something your Archetype is holding. A signal device from Arcateen 5."

"And what of it?"

"Like a mobile phone, only to call across the stars." I smiled, my delicate elfin ears picking up her now thudding heart. "It's a million times more powerful."

Mrs Wormwood was finally a little scared. "Then it's a good thing you don't know our frequency."

Oh, you stupid squid. "Mr Smith said it out loud."

"Nia, that was dozens of numbers. Not even you could remember that." Mum told me, her own hazel eyes the exact same shade as my own. "Your memory isn't that perfect!"

"I can't, but he can."

He nodded again, getting to his feet. "You gave me the memory of 10 000 humans." Now I nodded to him and his fingers became a blur as he type all the buttons. "013457689014658757562987032105-5 calling the Bane!"

Now the Bane Mother was seriously in pain, the air filled with a piercing tone. "The Bane Mother! You're killing her! Archetype, I order you to stop!"

"But you made him human. He's ours!" Mum laughing, putting her jacket around him as I walked over to her, slapped her hard enough to knock her to the ground, before following my own mother. "Niara, Maria, give me a hand."

We made it out of the building and to the car just in time to turn around and watch the entire building explode. I liked making things explode, just look at Deffry Vale. "Did we stop them?"

"Are you alright?" I asked the Boy who just helped me save the world. "I think that probably hurt you as well. I didn't think about that."

"Their control has gone, and I'm free." He smiled. "That's good."

Mum was beaming. "Oh, yes, that's good." And hugged him. "We would be dead without you. We all would. You're amazing, the pair of you. Amazing." And then she hugged me even tighter, kissing my hair and checking me over. "And you, my Baby, oh, you are so like your Godfather sometimes. You're incredible."

The Boy smiled back, while I fought off the onslaught of attention from my mother. "This is happiness, yes?"

"Oh, yes. We did it." And now I was dragged into a group hug. Fun.

We got back into the car and drove home, mum, the Archetype and I following Maria into her house once I'd hidden my wings again with a suppression of emotions and my nose going back into my book. "Oh, hello."

"Hello." Mum smiled weakly, less frosty than I'd seen her in almost two years. "Jer, er, just checking everything's alright."

"That's very neighbourly."

She made a grimace. "Yeah, well, sorry about before." And shook his hand. "Welcome to the neighbourhood."

Alan smiled back at her. "It's certainly been eventful. Is it always like this?"

"This is a quiet day." I told him, not looking up from the beginning of the last chapter to my book. Damn, the next one wasn't out for another year, I'd only gotten this one two days before. Book worm problems. "I got a book read."

"And who's this?"

"This, I suppose this is my son. Nia's brother." Now had to put my books down, staring over at my mother. Excuse you? "My adopted son."

Maria's dad smiled at him. "And what's your name?"

The Boy didn't understand the concept of a lie. "I don't have one."

Mum had to quickly dig up. "Sorry, no, it's an old family joke. He's called, er-"

Only she was saved by the sudden by the sudden arrival of some ditsy woman with shoes taller than her intelligence. "Look at you, leaving your front door open after everything that's happened. Did you hear about the chemicals? Oh, it was a nightmare. I had Ivan chasing me around the bedroom saying Drink It. I told him to get off, but he wasn't having it. Haven't you unpacked yet? Alan, I did say that the longer things stay in boxes the less it feels like a home." She finally saw mum, the boy and I. "And you are?"

"Sarah Jane Smith. This is my daughter, Niara." Again with the Niara. No one called me Niara. "We're from over the road."

Maria made a small face. "This is my mother." I saw why she lived with her dad.

She fixed her eyes on my new brother. I was not sharing a bathroom. Mum could, bt my stuff was all perfectly balanced so that my wings didn't knock them over and my tail could work as an extra hand. "What's he wearing?"

"These are the clothes I was born in." If he got picked on at school, I was leaving him. Hands down, I already got enough grief from Sinead.

"Right. Well, er, thank you, but if you don't mind, I've had a bit of trauma. Family time. Thanks for calling in. Maria will see Kneara at school." This, this was why I said Nia. There was no Knee in my name! There wasn't even an E!

"OK, we'll be off."

The Boy also had no verbal filter. "This woman is rude."

I was no fuelling the fire. "Definitely going. Come on, I've nearly finished my book."

Our new neighbour looked like she'd rather we stayed. "You don't have to."

Her mother was being very rude. "Oh, come on, now. Invite the neighbours round and you'll never get rid of them. Next thing you know, it's holidays together." I hadn't been on holiday since I was 9. I missed Salem, New Orleans and Tokyo. "That is a recipe for disaster. No offence." Just like Rose, I knew she meant the opposite. "Nice to meet you, Sarah Lou, Kiara." OK, that was on purpose.

But we left it and a little while later Maria came over again as i sat cross legged on the bench, reading another Neil Gaiman book this time. Mum brought out some lemonade for all of us, and she looked happier than I'd seen her for such a long time. "How's your friend Kelsey?"

"She's back tracking like mad, saying it was all hallucinations. No such thing as aliens."

"But we know better." I muttered, my wings fluttering to prove my point.

Then the Boy came out the house in normal clothes, making mum beam at him. "Oh, that's more like it." Maria smiled too, before looking at our now shared mother. "How are you gonna adopt him, then? I mean, you need forms and things. Who are you going to say his real mum is, the Bane Mother?"

I shrugged, handing mum the adoption papers. "Mr Smith and I sorted that out. Officially done and dusted. All he needs now is a name. I vote Archibald, it sounds like Archetype."

"Be nice, he's your new brother." All the more reason not to be nice. "You can choose your own."

He looked at me. "I like yours. Nia."

Maria laughed. "Maybe not. How about Jack? Josh? Nathan?"

Mother was thinking back to her UNIT days. "Harry? Alistair? Luke?"

"I like Luke."

"If you like Luke, I like Luke."

"That's the name I was going to choose if I had another child, a boy. Only it never happened."

I rolled my eyes, invested in the Graveyard Book now. Bod was an interesting character. "Brilliant. You've got Niara, the Wanderer, already named after him and now Luke, a name that means Beloved Physician. You're not exactly helping his already inflated ego, mother."

She just laughed and pulled me into her, kissing my hair. "My Baby. Niara and Luke Smith. You're a big sister." Whoopee for me.

"I never asked." Maria frowned. "Have you got a boyfriend or-"

"Oh, there were only ever two men for me. After them, nothing compared." I saw my dad in her eyes, the man I would probably never meet. If he was even still alive, it had been 14ish years. "When I was your age, I used to think, oh, when I'm grown up, I'll know what I want. I'll be sorted. But you never really know what you want, you never feel grown up, not really. You never sort it all out. So I thought, I can handle life, motherhood, on my own. But after today, I don't want to. Not after seeing how lonely and bitter and isolated my Nia has become."

Really? "I'm not isolated, I'm an alien who happens to enjoy solitary reading over gossiping about boys. I'm not bitter, i am merely reluctant to socialise."

Mum's arms tightened around me. "You're lonely. Maria and Luke can change that."

Luke himself was looking at the night sky, the first time he's ever seen it, the infinite majesty of the universe. "What's that" He asked, looking at a plane flying overhead, blue and red flashing lights.

"It's just a plane."

"That's a flying machine, right?"

Which made Sarah Jane wrap her arm around him as well, honestly looking so happy. "Perhaps it's a spaceship." No, I was pretty sure that was a plane, it had EasyJet written on the side of it. "I saw amazing things out there in space, and through motherhood with my baby Niara. But there's strangeness wherever you turn. Life on Earth can be an adventure too. You just need to know where to look."


	3. Threes a Party, Fours a Crowd

She drove us the 400 meters to school. Were you freaking kidding me? "Now, you two take care, OK? Nia, you look out for your little brother."

"No promises." I muttered, nose deep in a Jodi Picoult book, Sing You Home. So good. "Can I go yet?"

"Nia!"

Luke was used to it by now, given that I'd barely spoken to him since he showed up and just smiled. "Goodbye, mum."

She shook her head, blushing a little. "Oh, I don't think so. No, Sarah Jane's just fine." I went to open my mouth but she knew what my mind was like. "Nia, you stick to calling me mum, thank you. Oh, hi Maria."

Then mum did the worst thing imaginable. She kissed Luke on the cheek, then tucked my hair behind my ears. So right away people laughed as she stated to drive home. All 400 meters. "Why were they laughing?"

"First day and your mum's kissing you goodbye and tucking away your hair?" Maria smiled, looking as embarrassed for us as I felt. "Bit embarrassing."

"She wants you to call her mum, by the way." I told him, not looking up as we rounded the corner to look at the building.

Maria's eyebrows rose at the sight of the glass building with a giant satellite on the side. "That's a bit flashy."

I shrugged. "They closed the school early last term to make it. It's all brand new. It's ICT, I think, not that I take it. Year 10's don't have to. Plus, mum doesn't trust me not to hack the servers again to fix my attendance." I skipped lessons like PE or anything where people could target me. I might have been stronger, faster and smarter than everyone here, but I had to keep that hidden, so I was just a freak.

Assembly was first and I sat down between Maria and Luke, having not yet looked up from my book. "I'm feeling anxious."

"So am I."

"But you've been to school before."

Our neighbour shook her head. "Not this one."

With a sigh, I glanced at them. "It's fine. This place is easy, if you know how to keep your head down, that is."

Some other newbie came up then, seeing an empty space. "Budge up." We did so, Luke fixing his tie. I refused to wear mine. "You new today?"

"Yeah, Maria."

"Niara. Disturb me while I'm reading and you won't make it to year 10." I told him, not looking up. "I'm also not new, I'm just babysitting."

He smiled at that, his eyes fixing on me. "Clyde, I'm new as Nia there would know." Huh. He got my name right the first time. "Probably hang about with you till I meet some cooler people."

Luke then decided to shake his hand in a formal greeting. "How do you do? I'm Luke Smith, Niara's younger brother."

That was something I really didn't wish to admit or agree to. "He's adopted. I'm year 10, you're year 9."

"OK, that was a joke." Clyde frowned at the social idiot. "Now I mean it. Might hang around with you, Nia."

I went to tell him to get stuffed, but then Blakeman turned up at the podium. "Good morning, everybody." Then promptly broke wind, making most people laugh. "What's funny? The wife gave me cabbage and bean tartlets last night. Yet another reason to despise Jamie Oliver. Right. Assembly, yah di dah. Welcome back, everybody. It's a new year. Hope you all do well. Don't run in the courtyard, Niara Smith look where you're going." Bite me. "Don't even think about wearing make up, and study hard, because I guarantee that none of you are going to be pop stars."

Clyde looked at me that, but I shrugged. "He hadn't been that bad the year before. "So what else is there?" A new teacher walked on stage before sitting down. With yet another bout of flatulence. "Oh, yeah. What a bright future you've all got, children of the world, etcetera. Right. As you've seen, we have a new technology block. I'll be taking you over in groups to look at our amazing new facilities, starting with form 10B." Fan-fucking-tastic. "Niara, par your mother request, you've been excluded from most lessons in that building without supervision."

"I'd like to see any of you actually try and stop me." I muttered, getting a bigger grin off of Clyde.

I didn't see any of the others until lunch, by which time I'd almost finished my book and was sat with Maria while she ate her school dinners. I didn't eat much, yet never needed to. "Can I sit here?"

"Only if I'm not going to shame you as my brother does."

"Well, I either sit here with you two, the bookworm and her friend." I didn't have friends. I had my brother and his friend whom I had no choice but to sit with. "Or sit with that."

A portly boy who was getting slapped. Another newbie, I didn't recognise him either. "What, there's someone worse than Nia?" Maria asked him with a sly smile as he sat next to me.

He smiled back, nudging me to the point I almost dropped the book. "Just, hey bookworm."

"So where you from?"

"Hounslow." Clyde replied to my neighbour. "My parents split up, so I moved down here with my mum."

Maria nodded, knowing the story well. "Like me. Only I moved with my dad."

Clyde gave her a weaker smile. "Yeah? How's that?"

She shrugged. "Better than them rowing all the time."

Another nod of agreement as I finished my book, putting it down to take a drink of coke. "What about you, Nia?"

"Lived in Ealing since I was 7. Before that it was Croydon with my Great-Aunt Lavinia, my cousin Brendan and my mum. Moved when Auntie L died and that's it. It's only ever been me and my mum, at least until Luke came along."

"Nice story. Shame your brother's a bit of a drip."

I looked over at him from my next book, starting a Terry Pratchett this time. Tiffany Aching was my world, I wanted to go to the Discworld. "I may not be overly fond of him, Clyde, but he is still my brother. I won't let you just insult him."

He put his hands up in surrender, while I resisted the urge to turn my hazel eyes blue for dramatic effect. "Sorry. Sorry." And then went to ear some of his food, only it was grey and mouldering. "What's wrong with that? What kind of slop are they serving here? Is this leftovers from last term or something? Sir, sir?" The headmaster stopped, looking frustrated. "How am I meant to eat that?"

Mr Blakeman didn't sound overly concerned at the vile mess on his plate. "You just pick the bad bits off."

The stinking man walked off, getting Clyde angrier and more sarcastic. I prefered sass. "Great. That leaves me with a pea."

"Mines off too." Maria added, looking at her pasta. Damn, I loved pasta here as well, I ate it once every so often. "That is disgusting."

"What's wrong with this place?" Clyde asked, not looking happy. Happiness was overrated, I rarely felt it. I rarely let myself feel anything. "It stinks, the food's rotten. Something weird's going on here."

The day ended without further strange occurrences, bar mother coming to pick me and Luke up from school, giving a lift to our lazy neighbour as well. And had her dad cycled up to us as we came into the driveway, looking amused. "Oh, I see, you've cadged a lift, have you?"

"I offered."

"I don't know, Lady Muck, getting neighbours to chauffer her around." Maria told her to shut up as I stood between mum and Luke, reading as usual. "How was the big first day then? Did Nia look after you?"

The girl nodded. "Sitting with Nia successfully scared away bullies." Because no one wanted to go near the freak with anger issues worse than the Hulk. My attacks were verbal and hit far harder. I didn't use it often, but my voice was definitely my best weapon, I didn't know what would happen if I lost it. "A bit weird though, the headmaster keeps farting and there's a boy-"

OK, if she was about to say something about Clyde liking me, I wanted that to stop. "Mum, do I have any post?"

She nodded as I gave Maria a quick cut throat gesture, and she got the memo while her dad got interested in the form of flatulence. "Really? What, noisy smelly ones or silent but deadlies?" She made a noise of disgust. "What?"

So Luke did some explaining. "The place stinks like batteries and the canteen food was off."

"I'll make you both a proper tea." Mum said quickly, knowing full well that I probably wouldn't eat it if it wasn't some form of fish or salad. It wasn't a diet thing, I just didn't like much else besides plain pasta. "You go get changed, both of you. Nia, Baby, your post is on the shoe rack, it looks likes it's that Lazarus letter."

"Bye, see you, Maria." Luke smiled as I just walked inside to have a look. "What's it for?"

"A potential threat." I replied, opening it to see it was an unconditional yes and invitation to the opening gala. "I applied to be the apprentice to a man trying to change the human race, and given my grades and publicised IQ, they couldn't resist. But don't tell mum, she thinks that I'm just getting uni experience."

I didn't give him much choice as I then hid the acceptance letter in my bag, knowing that I'd have to tell her if things went south, but for the moment I could easily lie. "I kept making social mistakes today."

Mum sighed then, coming into the attic as I changed clothes into a tank top and leggings, starting my daily stretches for 'anger management'. I was supposed to find other ways of getting out my aggression without a poison tongue or a steel toe capped boot. It was less fun, but I liked the workout the yoga gave me. "I think I made one too. Driving you both to school when it's around the corner, kissing you goodbye. Even tucking your hair, Niara. I'm still new at this, even after all these years."

"I don't know anyone except Maria, Niara and Clyde. Maria's in different classes to me most of the time. Nia's the year above so she's always somewhere else. And Clyde thinks I'm uncool and just asks about Nia."

"Clyde's not the only kid in school."

Luke just looked terrified. "What if I make more mistakes? People are wary of me because of Niara's attitude. They called her out on things in assembly." Thank you, for that. I didn't tell her quite how bad things were for me at school. It made her worry and if she worried, she got more scared to let me do things. I loved my mother, but she always, always worried too much.

"Then you'll never make the same ones again. Listen, anyones nervous starting a new school, a new job."

"Do I have to go?"

Another sigh as I paused in the downward dog. Clicked your back in all the right places, and your wings felt incredible. "I could take you out, teach you here. I considered it, did it for a few years with Nia at first. But you, Luke Smith, you're going to have a normal life. As normal a life as I can give you. You've got it easy compared to Niara, she's not allowed in certain lessons due to her wings and tail."

I saw that Luke really didn't want to go. Lucky him. I fought for two years to be allowed to go to school. He had a super brain and no belly button. I had a tail, wings and eyes that shine like the moon in the night. The odds of making friends were far more in his favour.

"What if I get it wrong again?" He asked as I started to click all the parts of my body, causing mum to cringe. "It makes me feel stupid."

Mum just gave him a warm smile. "Remember, you saved the world the day you were born. Not many people can say that. Even Nia can't." Because you were hidden away and Uncle Alistair faked all my birth paperwork. You couldn't exactly give birth to a baby with a tail and wings in Croydon University Hospital.

"No one else can say that. That's the problem." He cried, already knowing how I'd felt my whole life. I was so, so different. "Nobody else is like me, or like Niara. We're outcasts." Then he frowned at what Mr Smith was doing. "What's going on?"

"Checking up on the firm who built your new block." She replied, nervously looking at what I was doing. "Nia, Baby, please be careful. You've severed tendons in your back before." And healed in barely 2 days. I was fine. "Coldfire Construction. They started expanding 18 months ago, contracts all round the world. Some odd things cropping up. Now they're putting up school buildings all around London." I stopped the stretch I was doing to look at her with raised eyebrows. "Well, it makes a change for me. Not aliens, is it?"

Mum got to work as I curled up reading on the futon, my tail absently twitching before the lights went out. I could still read, perks of being a Stryx Halfling, but mums computer clicked off. "Power cut?" Luke asked, having been doing his homework. Suck up, they already knew I was too smart so they didn't expect me to do any.

"Yes. Mr Smith's not responding. The computer just went pfft." That was a very accurate description, well done, mother. "And guess who forgot to save her work?" Clever. Good thing you had a hacker daugher. "I'll just see how long it's going to be. If I can check the local power grid, thank you, Baby." Only she started at the scanner watch I made her. "That's impossible. It never loses power."

I was by her side in a flutter of purple and pink wings, holding her wrist. "It's not able to lose power. It's a fuel cell I nicked from the TARDIS, it's self charging." Only then, as quickly as it had come, all the power came back. "I don't like this."

"Weird."

"Must be faulty."

Nothing I ever made was ever faulty, dear little brother. "Or the same thing that cut the electric, cut off this off, only I don't have the right tools for a diagnostic check. I'd need the TARDIS for that." Plus admit that I had sticking fingers the first time I'd been in there.

The next morning, the worrying powercut mostly forgotten, we headed off to school, Luke sticking with Maria where he could, and Clyde, especially at breaks, seemed to like following me around like a puppy. At lunch he seemed unable to find me though, good as mum called to talk about some other place she'd visited that morning. "And that school has exactly the same problem as your school. So I'm off to Coldfire Construction."

"Do you want me to do anything? I have chemistry next, it's basically a feww period anyway."

"Stop skipping lessons just because you've already got the A Level." No promises. "But have a look around. See if you can find where that smell is coming from."

Yes, explore the area I'm not allowed to be while unattended, brilliant. "OK, see you later. Love you."

"Love you too, Baby."

Then she clicked off as Clyde found me, eating fish and chips from the local. "Who's that then, your boyfriend?"

"No, my mum." I replied, swapping my phone for a book. "Back of the kitchens or reception?"

"What?"

"To get off campus. How did you go?"

He blinked at me before laughing. "Kitchens. You're really different to your brother, you know that?"

I shrugged, walking over to where Maria, who had probably received a text from mum, was heading off towards the tech block with Luke. "Preaching the choir, mate."

He smirked before looking at my neighbour and annoyance of a brother. "What are you doing?"

Luke didn't understand a need to know basis. "We're investigating the new block. Right Nia?"

Maria quickly pulled up. "I left something of Nia's in the new block."

They both headed off, but Clyde grabbed my arm, stopping me from following. "What is it with you two and her? I've seen weird people, I know weird people. But you three? You're gorgeous, Niara, but you're beyond weird. I've seen that tribal tattoo on your back."

I resisted the urge to slap him. My therapist, Mr Smith, would have been so proud of me. "Go find some normal people them." Only he started to follow me around the tech block. "Nothing here is right."

"I want answers. Where are you from?"

"I was born in the UNIT Base in Mount Snowdon, grew up in Croydon or Ealing." I told him, knowing he wouldn't believe me anyway. "The layout of this building seriously doesn't make any sense."

Clyde was still asking me questions. "But where have you been all your life? You've never got your nose out of a book for longer than 20 minutes. Your mum brushed your hair off your face in public and you didn't fight it." Why would I want to be anywhere but a fictional world unless I was fighting the good fight with my brother.

"I started school when I was 7 years old. They wanted me off the map. I was taught at home by my mum, Sarah Jane. There are 16 classrooms in this building."

"Where's yours and Luke's dads? His parents?"

A bit hard to explain, really. "Abroad. I've never met Elijah and Luke's parents tried to kill him." Not really lying. Mrs Wormwood did try and kill him, she just wasn't his parent. "The block measures roughly 1539 square meters, times that by two as there are two floors. It's just not adding up, there's an empty space. Through there. You need to go home." He just kept following me. "Or not then. Your funeral. THere's another room, one they don't want students find, behind there." Clyde tried to talk to me but I was finally not bored, so wasn't listening. "But how do you get inside?"

He gave up then and left letting me pause to pull my hair up, the long mass of it getting in the way, then stared at the blank white wall. "It's a door, then there has to be a handle. Here."

And touched the door where it should have been and smiled as I was let through a sliding door, letting my tail uncoil and whip the air, wings fluttering out like a butterfly's. Chances were, it wasn't human, so why I have to pretend?

Stepping through, I stared around before my inhuman eyes fixed on the man behind everything. Mr Blakeman. "So, Niara, how do you like our science project? We're about to start on dissecting a butterfly child, to find out what makes her tick."


	4. A Big Sisters Job

Blakeman was still smiling at me as my wings turned razor sharp at the edges, my legs moving me backwards. "Come on, girl. Don't you want a closer look?"

"Probably not." I replied as he went for me, jumping up to get a small amount of lift behind me and slashed at him with my tail, running for the door. I glided down to where Maria, Clyde and Luke were after, all signs of my non-human genes on show. It was safe to say that the Muggle was staring at my wings. "I found a secret room." Only we were locking in the building. "Jesus, the one day I give it to mum! I don't have time to hack the system, run!"

Maria ended up with me as the boys went up the stairs, before I heard a familiar car pull up and someone unlocking the door, so dragged my neighbour with me. "Into the car. Niara, wings!"

"Bit late, mother." I smiled, enjoying the rush I had from being as fast as I'd been going, my heart pounding. I rarely got to feel adrenaline, it felt incredible. "Sonic."

She handed it back to me as everyone got into the car, Clyde, Maria and Luke getting in the back. "What's that?"

"Sonic lipstick. Niara made it." Mum told him once we were both in the car, the creatures passing as teachers locked back into the building. But they were glaring. "What is he doing here? Why are your wings out, Niara Andrea Smith?"

"Because." I replied, leaning forward as we drove off, calming my heart enough to fold them back through the back of my tank top. I never wore the shirt after hours. "Also, I'd be dead, so would Maria be. If I'm in danger, or my fellow Slytherin is, I am going to use them to my advantage." Learning Maria was a Slytherin, it made it a little better.

"Someone elses life in my hands." She sighed, moving quickly off. "Just what I need, Niara."

The other three just went right inside as we pulled up, while Clyde grabbed my arm, stopping me before avoiding my deadly tail. Screw putting that away, I'd already made the hole in my school skirt. "I want answers. I've just been chased by aliens and you are some alien butterfly, and no one is freaking out. Why? Who and what are you?"

Mum was already not happy with me, I was most likely grounded with no Mr Smith access. Annoying as I was the one who bloody built him. "You've got to go home. Forget this ever happened and what I am. Go home, Muggle."

He shook his head and for the first time I saw how warm a brown his eyes were. They looked like a perfect mug of hot chocolate on a winters evening. "No, I'm part of this now. I want to find out the truth. What's in there and who are you, Niara?"

"Just leave me alone, OK? I'm not a butterfly. From what I've discovered, I am part of a retired Warrior race, which is why my tail, and at times the edge of my wings, are deadly sharp. Now leave."

Clyde wasn't budging. "The police won't leave you alone when I call them and tell them what happened. Especially if I tell them about the alien living in Ealing."

"I'm only a Stryx Halfling, you plebeian!" I snarled, before rolling my eyes. "You know what, fuck it. Come on then."

"Yes! Get in there!" And let me show him into the attic, where he stormed in. "Right, what's going on in here?"

Mum stared at him and then at me. "Why don't you bring all your friends round, Niara? The whole school?"

"Mother, you are fully aware of the fact that I have no friends outside the confines of this room and that safe. Clyde has already seen my wings and tail and threatened to out me." I told her, taking my wings back out of their skin pockets. "I don't overly fancy the tests involved for them to make sure I was safe, given that my records are so buried we'd probably find Atlantis before them."

"I've just had monsters from outer space on my back, the girl I've spent two days chatting up is an alien hybrid." Halfling. "And no one is telling me what's going on."

Only she was not in the mood to listen to him. "Shut up for a minute, will you? I'm busy and right now, you're not important. Even if it is getting like Clapham junction up here. Right. The Slitheen must have taken over Coldfire Construction, put up buildings all over the world. Why?"

Finally, I could explain. "I think I know. There's a hidden room in the school, I saw inside. Mr Smith, I need you."

Which meant he came out with his usual fanfare. "Good afternoon, Niara."

"Oh, yes." Clyde grinned. "Is that a computer?"

"Who's that?"

I was regretting not slitting his throat with my tail and dumping the body. "Nobody. Bring up our satellite image of London." He did so. "Now plot the exact positions of every school put up by Coldfire Construction. There's us, Ealing."

"St Cheldon's comp, Upminster. Schools of Epping, Amersham. Richmond, Morden."

"The ends of tube lines." Now we all looked at Clyde. "If I'm allowed to speak? This is real. All of it's real. The Stryx girl, the talking computers real, the Slitheen are real. Oh, yes."

Mum rolled her eyes at him. "Mr Smith, plot the position of every Coldfire building put up in the last 18 months." He put them on a map. "Paris, Sydney, Beijing. They're not all capital cities, they spread out all over the place. They look pretty random."

Surprisingly, Clyde was right. "Underground railways." Cly got that I listened to him, grinning at me. "Link them."

"London, Barcelona, Washington DC, Santiago, Los Angeles, Sydney, Beijing, Moscow, Naples, Paris."

"There's at least one Slitheen at every sight."

The recently awakened Muggle, now becoming a Gryffindor, thought he knew the plan. "And there are 10 cities. Right, call the Army."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Oh, right. Because that always makes things better, doesn't it?"

"It's not your job."

"There's a cleverer way of going about things." This was why mum was a Ravenclaw with Luke. I had Maria as my fellow Slytherin, and Clyde was a Gryffindor, if anything. Die hard Slytherin pride. "But what's it all for? What are they doing? The secret room, Baby, what was in there?"

Only Luke realised something as I went to tell her about the machines. "Sarah Jane, Niara, I've done something stupid. A really bad social mistake. I told the Slitheen how to destroy the world."

Oh, brilliant.

He explained everything, looking terrified of what we were about to say to him. "It wasn't working until I gave them the answers. The power cut last night was a test run."

"But our candles went out and that's not electric."

"When the capacitors are charged up they act as transducers, converting heat and light into electricity. That's how the loop works, it's not connected physically."

Maria still hadn't caught up. "But what has underground railways got to do with that?"

Basic nuclear physics, duh. "The system would generate masses of heat. It's like the cooling system of a nuclear reactor. People getting ill, food going off, that's the result of living or working next to the capacitors. Even on standby they'd cause cellular decay in organic matter. With this system, they could drain every last drop of energy from the Earth. Our schools the last link in the chain." Maria and Clyde were staring at me. "Guys, I'm an engineer, who also likes to build tiny nuclear reactors in her spare time. Why do you think that we don't pay much in electricity?"

"But it needs the whole chain altogether to do that?" Luke nodded. "We bomb the school?"

I rolled my eyes this time, shoving Clyde. "Been there, done that. Helped blow up Deffry Vale."

Mum had been thinking of practical solutions. "If we could get in there, could you destroy the power system safely? Either of you?"

Luke spoke before I could. Not surprising. "I think so. If we reset the system, shut it down for just a second. I'd need a cutting tool."

"Tail or sonic?" Mum raised an eyebrow. "Sonic it is, because i think I am already grounded."

Our neighbour had another complaint. "Yeah, and how do we get past the Slitheen?"

"We bomb them?"

"Clyde, shut up before I knock you out and lock you in the cupboard somewhere."

"Sarah Jane, Niara, I've just picked up this report on an American news channel."

Mr Smith started to play it right away. "Breaking news. There's been a massive loss of power on the West Coast of North America. Los Angeles has gone dark."

That did not sound good. "It's starting."

Luke looked heartbroken. "And I told them has to do it. The day I was born I saved the world. Now I've helped to destroy it."

The only one getting to the solution part of the adventure was mum. "Mr Smith, give me everything you've got on the inhabitants of-"

Pause, and I sighed, looking at the watch. "Raxacoricofallapatorius. Any weaknesses. Anything we can use to fight them."

He got to it as Maria tried to comfort my brother. "Anybody could have made that mistake."

"No, only him or Nia could have, but Nia can actually blend in." Maria looked shocked. "Lets have a High School Musical moment. A group hug'll sort everything out."

"You're right." Luke agreed. "As if a teacher could have worked out that diagram. It was Nia level engineering." Only I wasn't the sort to steal power.

Mr Smith lost signal to the American's after a moment, before I got impatient. "Anything on the Slitheen yet?" Nope, he was taking his sweet ass time. "Hurry up or I'll take you apart the same way I put you together."

"Raxacoricofallapatorian's. Calcium based lifeforms." Hurry it up... "Weaknesses. They are a naturally hardy race. However, their bodies are notoriously hyper-sensitive to-"

And then the power went out.

"We can't stop them without the sonic lipstick." I'm sorry, my tail was sharp and the black skin of it was insulated against electricity.

"Its real. The end of the world, thank's to him."

I glared at Clyde this time. "Cease speaking, unless you wish for your tongue to be removed. No Mr Smith, no sonic, no plan B. But we are the only people in the world that can stop this. And we will because I need to meet Jodi Picoult and slap her for My Sister's Keeper. Back to school, go."

We made it to the hall before Clyde pointed out we had no weapon, but they'd been scared of something in his bag. "What was in your bag?"

"My books." You knew how to read? Gryffindors were intelligent beyond McGonagall and Hermione? "Some tangfastics and my lunch."

"Well, what was your lunch?"

Clyde shrugged. "Cold chip sandwich. I made it this morning. I wasn't going to eat anything from the canteen of death."

Our neighbour tried to theorise. "So what, the Slitheen are allergic to potatoes? Bread? Butter?"

"The Slitheen in the office, she was eating a sandwich." Mum countered. "What was on those chips?"

He shrugged yet again. "Just salt and vinegar."

"Salt, must it."

Luke tried to be clever as he was supposed to be. "If the Slitheen are mostly made of water, it would dehydrate them, like slugs."

Even Clyde knew that was wrong. "No, they put extra salt in everything. Bread, butter. It's got to be something else. It's got to be the vinegar."

Bingo. "Acetic acid, reacts with calcium. Basic acids to Alkali's."

So a quick pit stop for vinegar, we started to run for the school, my hair still up but I was wearing one of mums giant cardi's to cover the tattoo like marks I had on my back. When I was over 18, that would be easier, but what parent let their 14 year old get a giant back piece? "Right, so all this fighting aliens stuff, you've been doing it for years? What, did you actually go up to the career guy at school and say, I want to defend the planet from alien invaders?"

"Not exactly."

"What happened? How did it start? Was it Nia's dad?" Why did everyone assume that it was Elijah? He came way later.

Mum paused to look at him. "It's a long story. If we survive, I'll be happy to tell you."

Then everything started to go dark. "What's going on?"

"It's transduction." Luke explained. "Like the candles."

Maria stared in shock. "They've switched off the sun." Not quite yet or we would already be dead.

"They're draining its power."

"It's getting cold." Funny that, the sun kinda powered the planet.

"I give us 32.5 minutes." I calculated, estimating by the rapid drop in temperature, but also the fact that we weren't dead yet. "We're going to stop them."

Clyde stared at me, eyes wide in disbelief. "What, the 5 of us with vinegar in plastic squeezies?"

I didn't say anything to that, just lead the way back into the tech block, shedding any attempt at looking human by my wings coming free. "Everyone remember the plan?"

"They just let us walk in here."

Luke nodded. "They want us in here."

"Well, what luck." Mum smiled, being braver than she probably was feeling at that moment in time. She always did what she was afraid to do, which was why she was the most influential person in my life. Sarah Jane Smith looked into fear and just walked in regardless of how dangerous it was. "Because we want to be in here. Niara, the secret room?"

"It's this way."

Only as we started to walk, Blakeman's voice could be heard coming towards us and a giant green alien appeared. "Oh, human children. The stench of Haribo and chicken nuggets. The little butterfly, smelling of Jasmine and stories."

Mum took up position in front of us. "Get off this planet."

"Hush now. It's time to hunt." Gladly. "The hunt is an instinct with us, as the kill is with that little butterfly. The Fledgling Stryx, as we discovered. The only way to keep our food safe in the days when the Baaraddelskelliumfatrexius beast wandered the plains of Raxacoricofallapatorius." OK, they were just making up words now. "They're sort of like giant squirrels. We killed them all centuries ago but the hunting instinct remains."

I was bored now, it was probably time to show we were armed. "Now!"

We all started to spray vinegar at him, making him back away quickly. "Didn't like that, did you?"

"Vinegar." Maria clarified, as if he hadn't already worked that out. "Get back."

"Mum, Luke, this way." I told them, my tail dancing through the air like ink through water. "Maria?"

She nodded at me. "It's working. We're doing our bit, you do yours."

With a small smile, I nodded in return before leading mum and my brother through to where I'd almost been cornered before going through the door. Only mum and Luke were grabbed by two Slitheen and I was held by an electrical field. Hang on, how the hell was this thing holding the bloody sun?!

"Behold the capacitor. We drain the energy into these and store it. In 10 minutes, this planet's atmosphere gets snatched away, but we'll be safe and warm in here."

"And then a spacecraft picks us up and we sell everything we've collected."

This was ridiculous. I was trying to do complex electro-magnetic physics tied with transduction, you guys talking about a different kind of maths was really not helping. "Why are you doing this?" Ah, much better. Take the topic off of maths.

"The Family game here once before, just a routine job, but they never came back."

Yeah, knew what happened there. "Yeah, my Godfather was about. Thought your plan was a little rude to us natives!"

They snarled at me, so I did the same back, fighting hold on me. "This planet will pay in blood. They were our family."

"Luke and Niara are mine!"

"This will give us a new beginning." Jeffrey kept telling us, not listening to mum as I started to use the tip of my tail, just outside the field, to start sewing through the cables to the machine. "My son wont have to live like I've had to. Cringing in the darkness."

Mum saw what I was doing so started to run interference. "And I want my son and daughter to live, to grow up. I want what's best for Luke and Nia."

The fake science teacher rolled, or whatever the sarcastic equivalent was for their race, his eyes. "Your stupid son gave us what we needed."

Nah. "No he didn't." All eyes moved to me, now free and on top of the tall unit. "You made the mistake. You must not have shown him the full purpose for the diagram. The power cells won't survive the full power of the sun!"

He looked quickly at one of the portly women. "Florm?"

"Well, the Fledgling might be right."

Then things started to go bang, the Slitheen trying to catch me as I lept overhead and just kept moving. I felt like I was in freaking Scooby Doo. "Shut it down!"

At which point Maria and Clyde decided to come on. "You heard her, turn it off! There's vinegar in this."

"Water." So they were captured as well. Brilliant.

"If I reset the system, you can cancel the overload, make it safe?" I nodded, pausing as the others stopped chasing me. "Right, son, reset the system."

Carl flipped a big black lever, making me grin. "It's reset. The systems off. Now I just have to synchronise the mega-wattage. Now!"

Everyone else freed themselves as I dodged again, my tail managing to slice through wires before I got back to mum. "Out, now!"

Most of the Slitheen teleported themselves out as we got through the door. Only Jeffrey and Carl got stuck as it closed. "You can't leave us here. Use your daughters sonic device, open the door. Open the door!"

"I'm only 12!"

"He's my son. Please, let him live."

She looked at me and held her hand out. "Niara."

But before mum or I could act, the energy build up disintegrated them both and the door closed. And the lights returned, meaning the machine restored the power. "It burnt itself out."

"We did it."

"He was a child. 12 years old." Mum sighed sadly, her arms going around Luke and I. "And you, you are getting too good with these, baby." My wings again. Why was she so scared that I was going to fly away and leave her? There was no one else I loved and cared for as much as her.

After a quick call to UNIT, sending love to Uncle Brig, Chrissie came storming over in her stupid heels, hugging Maria tight. "Where were you? Oh, where've you been?"

She gave her mum a smile. "We just went up town, grabbed some burgers. Nia wanted to help me with my science homework." When did I say that? You did not want me as a teacher, I was a grumpy cow half the time and I was doing my own bio-chem degree at the moment.

"The power went off, I was so worried." Chrissie now looked at mum. "Oh, Sally Anne, bless you for looking after my Maria. My head was full of terrible things that could have happened."

They went off over the road again and I changed shirts as Clyde kept exploring the attic, getting the Doctor talk from mum before I showed Maria up there again with Luke. Thinking up plans for cover stories, best part of the adventures. "Freak weather conditions?"

"Temporary reversals of the Earth's magnetic poles." Luke and I said together, my book in hand again, ready to submerge myself in fiction.

"That's the one." Mum grinned, her arm returning around my shoulder. "Mr Smith, start a rumour. Insert the words temporary reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles into media reports."

He agreed and Clyde grinned at me, his hot chocolate eyes lighting up. "I can't believe we can't tell anyone. I should get millions for what I did today."

Maria raised her eyebrows. "We all did it."

"But who worked out the vinegar?" Then pointed to himself. "Thank you, Clyde Langer."

"I'll walk you to the bus stop."

Clyde wasn't ready to leave yet. "You were right. This is great. Weird, but great. And you need me. I can't believe you were going to save the Slitheen. They tried to destroy the entire planet. Billions of people. What was the big dilemma?" Maria was still trying to make him budge. "You were good, both of you. And if anyone tries to say your brother isn't cool, I'll set them straight."

And then he tried to hug me, getting about a meter away before I bared teeth. "Touch me and I will ram my tail so far down your throat, you will be tube fed for the rest of your life."

So he just left quickly with Maria, mum smiling at us both. "He's right. Oh, you were both amazing. Again."

"I nearly destroyed everything. I messed up, Nia had to fix everything."

"Yeah, but that's the job of a big sister." I told him, sitting down on my futon. "They get infuriated by their nerdy, annoying little brothers, but they still fix their mistakes and stick up for them. No matter what they do, they'll still be there. Little brother." And now he went to hug me. "Or not. Let's not go too far. only hug mum."

Who was now happy that we were getting on, just not quite as happy with herself. "I messed up. New block, the strangeness of it all? Of all people, I should have seen it. Instead, I sent you two and Maria right in there and that was nearly the end of you."

I exchanged a look with Luke, before we both hugged her tight. "But we're still here. And we always will be mum."


	5. Wasted Years

Parties were boring.

Like, super boring. My entire bag was full of books to read until the main event happened. So the only thing I really needed to do was stop the sleazy old guys from chatting me up. The joys of being forced into a dress.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus, and tonight I am going to perform a miracle." That was the part I was worried about. "It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever."

The man stepped inside the chamber, and as his 'apprentice', I was one of the people behind the barriers, turning on the machine. 4 columns started to oscillate and rotate around, the energy pouring inside. Only an alarm started to sound, causing me to push the 'scientists' to the side and start shut down procedures.

Except an audience member had the same thought, appearing by my side. "Somebody stop him! Get him away from the controls, Niara do something!"

"Nia?"

"Doctor?" Only the beeping stopped us from doing too much, so I looked at Lady Thaw, who had a heart of ice. "If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?"

Then the Doctor ripped out the power cable, getting the machine to slow to a stop as a woman, decidedly not Rose, ran to the door. Only when she opened it, there wasn't an elderly man inside. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years and I am reborn."

Wild applause came right away, the Doctor quickly pulling me back into the crowd, remembering not to touch my back. My wings were currently lain in a clever way to make them look like part of my sky blue dress. Loved the sky, all I wanted to do was fly through it. "What are you doing here, Niara? Where's your mother?"

"At home. She's got the flu, plus she knows I'm here." Then showed him my security pass. Smith, Niara Andrea, Level Two Access. "It's a solo mission, I think you know why I'm here."

"Nia, you're 14 years old!"

"Nearly 15!"

"You're still a fledgling who can't use her wings yet." He snapped in return, obviously now taking his role as my Godfather seriously. "You shouldn't be here by yourself."

Oh, but I wasn't, was I? "You're here."

Which made him realise his mistake, and knew he would not be able to win an argument against me. "Fine, but you're doing as I tell you to, understand?" No promises. "Your mother must be so proud, little Wanderer."

When she wasn't coughing and sneezing her guts up, sure. "Who's she and where's Rose?" I asked, grabbing my book and found my page. "Oh, and I'm Niara by the way. Touch me and I won't be happy."

"Nia, Martha, Martha, Niara. She's a Fledgling, my Goddaughter. Apparently, she knows how to get into more trouble than her mother." He sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily, before looking over to where Lazarus was having his photo taken. "But she certainly knows how to find things where things aren't right."

Martha followed his gaze, leaving me still in the dark about where Rose was. Didn't care, I hadn't overly liked her and this woman already seemed far nicer. "It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"It's not a trick. I've see the plans and the maths, it's all correct." I told her softly. "It's why I'm here, I'm trying to find out what's going to happen. He just changed what it means to be human."

We headed over to the man, currently paying me £40 an hour to be here, as he started to demolish a tray of food from a waiter. "Energy deficit." The Doctor smiled brightly. "Always happens with this kind of process."

"You speak as if you see this every day, Mr?"

"Doctor. I'm Nia's, well, complicated." Brilliant, he was about to get me fired. "And well, no, not every day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."

"That's impossible."

Really wasn't. Regeneration, something had told me about, how he changed face while dying. "Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. As I've told you before, Professor, in my application even, you cannot have allowed for all the variables."

"No experiment is entirely without risk, Niara." He smiled at me, taking my book to look at the cover. Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I'd read it before, but reading the same book more than once has some comfort to it. "Oh, how you love your fiction, young lady. But, perhaps instead of dreaming of the stars, you could try living in the real world for a short time."

The real world made less sense than fiction. You could create a world entirely of your own and live inside where nothing could hurt you, no one could call you names or whisper behind your back. A world where you were just at peace. But the Doctor spoke before I could, probably remembering my temper. I did kick him, after all. "That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender."

Lady Thaw glared at him. "Neither you nor your daughter are qualified to comment. Miss Smith are you forgetting that you are here to learn?"

My glare moved to her, my stupidly bright blue eyes fixing on her so she was paralysed in shock. "If we weren't here to stop it, it would have exploded."

"Then I thank you and your father, Niara." Oh, crap, they thought he was my dad... "But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests." Martha pointed out, already way nicer than Rose.

"Look at me." We already were, dude. "You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

The woman who actually hired me smiled, like she thought she was better than us. Two aliens and a very good Doctor. Martha was the Doctor, the actual Doctor was appalling at first aid. "This device would be properly certified before we start to operate commercially."

Martha's eyes widened. "Commercially? You are joking. That'll cause chaos."

Lazarus shook his head. "Not chaos. Change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving." The Doctor told him lowly, his voice laced with acidic poison. "This about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor." He smiled simply in reply. "A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely." Then kissed Martha's hand as Lady Thaw moved him along.

"Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea the damage he might have done."

The companion looked at him expectantly. "So what do we do now?"

He took a breath. "Now? Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I saw we use Nia's pass and do a few tests of our own."

Martha held up her hand with a smile as I took my pass back out. "Lucky I've also just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"

The Doctor beamed. "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star."

With my pass, we headed to the labs and he got right to work looking at his DNA under the electroscope. "Amazing."

"What?"

"Lazarus' DNA."

His companion frowned at it as I took photos. Pics or it didn't happen was by far the worst thing Clyde brought to our group. "I can't see anything different." Wait for it... "Oh, my God. Did that just change? But that's impossible."

I hated that word. "And that's two things we've seen so far tonight."

"Don't you love it when that happens." The Doctor beamed bigger, hugging me without touching my wings. "I know you hate hugs, but I really don't care." He would really don't care. "Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure, then a metagenetic programme to manipulate the protein strands. Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."

"But they're still mutating now."

Because the idiot was being an idiot. "He missed something. I told him that he did. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something trying to change him." Martha was staring at me so I clarified something. "I am currently studying at a Masters level in 4 subjects, and already have 7. I have been able to read since I was 18 months and have an IQ of at least 218. Last time I took the test I was about 9."

"You sure have a thing for smart people, Doctor." Martha commented, not saying anything further on the matter. "Changing him into what, though?"

That was currently not known. I'd need some comparative DNA. "I don't know, but we need to find out."

"That woman said they were going upstairs."

"Lets go." I went to go with them but I was moved back into the chair. "Where do you think you're doing."

I showed my pass. "With you. This is bio-calibrated and all the doors are deadlocked without it." Because I deadlocked them on the way in. "Good luck getting anywhere with out me."

There was a massive pause as his face went through about 7 different emotions before giving up. "Fine. But I am speaking to your mother about this."

Have fun. She'd pretty much given up trying to work out all my thought processes. But I showed them up to his office, passing my desk just outside and went in. "This is it. Not sure why he isn't here though."

"Let's try back at the reception." Martha suggested, before stopping as she saw a skeletal leg. "Is that Lady Thaw?"

"Used to be." The Doctor told her, scanning the body with the sonic. Best not show mine, he might get offended. "Now it's just a shell. Had all the life drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

Martha gave him a quick glance as I retrieved my book from his desk, just starting to read again. "Lazarus."

My Godfather shrugged. "Could be. Nia, please don't do that and walk again. It freaked me off enough last time."

I brushed him off, half immersing myself in the world of Beyond the Wall. "The DNA was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This probably wasn't enough."

"So he might do this again?"

"Mmm." Was the reply the companion got as I lead the way back to the lifts.

The party was still in full swing as we got back down there, but it was easy enough to get around and look for Lazarus. Only there was no sign. "I can't see him." To which the Doctor took my book and pocketed. "Hey!"

He pointed to his eyes and then around the room. "Try looking up. He can't be far. Shame you can't use your wings, get an aerial view."

Some bloke came up to us then as I pulled out my 'DS', which was actually a heat sensor through the camera. Loved being a smart Fledgling, Nintendo sent me an early access Nintendo DSiXL. "Hey, you alright, Marth? I think mum wants to talk to you." Then smiled at me. "And who's your friend?"

Martha moved me to the side. "Niara. 15." Almost. But I really looked older. I'd been that close to buying an 18 game once before mum stopped me. I just wanted to play David Cage games, his personifications of women was appalling but the stories were supposed to be incredible. "Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?"

"Yeah, well, he was getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago. Are you seriously only 15? Damn Girl."

"I'm 15 January 1st. Still 14 at the moment." I told him before replaying what he'd just said. "Tish. PR, head of, right? Where's they go?"

The guy frowned at me, looking at my twitching back. Oh, this dress was irritating. "Upstairs, I think. Why?"

I shone the camera upstairs again at a run, knocking into some random woman, most likely Martha's mum at this rate, while I realised that I should probably text my own mother so that she didn't worry herself into a stroke. She unfortunately wasn't overly young when she had me, I worried over her just as much as she worried over me.

We found the two of them on the roof, and I on instinct finished the power he was reciting. "Fall the Shadow. For Thine is Thy Kingdom. Between the conception and the creation. Between the emotion and the response. Falls the Shadow. Life is very long."

"So my little apprentice knows her Eliot. I'm impressed, if not surprised."

The Jones sisters started to have a domestic, while I used the point of my tail to cut a hole in the dress to let it through. This thing was going in the bin anyway, I would wear an occasional skirt, but never a floor length dress. "I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Prof. What with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

"You're right, Niara." He smiled at me as I readied myself to maybe fight. "One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in 2, or 3, or 4.2

The Doctor stepped in front of me, probably knowing that I was not one for holding my tongue once I got talking. It was problem we were working on, getting me to stop talking at times. "Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in 20 years than others do it 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person. Just compare you and my Nia."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be."

"Or a curse." He replied softly. "Look at what you've done to yourself."

His eyes were on the Doctor and I. "Who are you to judge me?"

Martha gestured over to her little sister. "Over here, Tish."

"You have to go and spoil things, don't you?" She hissed in reply. "Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find a fault."

Behind her, my boss spasmed and fell. "Tish, he's a monster!"

"I know the age thing's a bit freaking, but it works for Katherine Zeta Jones." Only then she turned and saw the transformation in progress. "What's that?"

For fuck's sake. "Run!" I yelled, letting my wings out to play as I ran forward to kick Lazarus in the face, slashing him with my tail before the Doctor manhandled me away as well, sonicking the roof hatch shut. "Put me the fuck down, now! Before I scream!"

He did so just as the lights went out, all the doors slamming shut. "What's happening."

"An intrusion." Tosh panted, probably wishing she was in flats. Floor length dresses were super good at hiding Doc Martens. "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door." I reasoned, tying up my long dark hair and ripped the skirt a little off my dress so I could run better. So glad this thing was from a charity shop, cost me a fiver. "Stairs, anyone?"

The creature was through by the time we were halfway down the stairs, but we kept running, The Doctor just throwing his jacket over my wings before we were through to the party. "Tish, is there another way out of here?"

She pointed to some glass doors. "There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now."

"Martha, setting 54, hurry." He threw her the sonic as I started to barricade the door. "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here, right now!"

Some posh lady sneered at him. "Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

So Lazarus took that as a queue to jump down from the mezzanine, causing panic to ensure. He got the sneering posh lady as people started to rush for the door Martha got open, so I jumped onto the table, getting his attention. "Lazarus! Leave them alone!" It turned to the Doctor and I, letting the companion run free before I stepped back a little. "What's the point? You can't control it. The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help."

I ducked quickly as he went for me, the Doctor grabbing me down. I was only tiny, I took after mum. "You're a fool!" He shouted, swinging me into a piggie back. "A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"

And then started to run to the basement with me on his back, my wings folded to stop us getting drag, my face hidden in his back. "It's no good, Doctor, Niara. You can't stop me."

"Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?"

"The arrogance is yours." He shot back. "You can't stand in the way of progress."

This was so effing weird. "You call feeding on innocent people progress? You're delusional!"

The creature that was once my boss through that he still had a justification for what he was doing. "It was a necessary sacrifice."

Sacrifice was never necessary. "That's not your decision to make."

"Peek A Boo."

"Oh, hello." The Doctor muttered, his eyes fixed on the giant ass creature sitting on the ceiling, before he ran again. To the labs. "Nia, love, how sharp is your tail?" I stared at him in disbelief as I was put down. "Niara, tell me!"

I cleared my throat, hearing it come towards us. "Uncle Brig likened it to the Katana he used to train me with. Samurai level."

So he started to turn bunsen burner gas taps on, making me cough but I started to do it as well. Sharp tailBrick WallSparkGas Filled Room Boom.

"More hide and seek, Doctor, Niara?" Lazarus shouted as I threw myself out of his line of sight. "How disappointing. Why don't you both come out and face me?"

"Have you looked in a mirror yet, mate?" I asked him, the top of my dress over my mouth and nose to prevent asphyxiation as best I could. "Why would we want to face that, hmm?"

Then we made a break for the door, my tail dragging along everything metal and brick before it sparked, igniting the whole room and threw us clear. The Doctor wrapped his arms around me so he hit the ground, but I patted out the flames from my hair regardless. "I don't think that would have done much, come on."

We kept running, heading back for the main room, but we suddenly collided with Martha, my boots great for stopping my momentum dead. "What are you doing here?"

She handed him the sonic. "I'm returning this. I thought you might need it."

"How did you-"

"I heard the explosion." Ah, that made sense. "Guessed it was you two."

"We blasted Lazarus."

Her eyes widened. "Did you kill him?"

With the roaring creature pelting towards us, I was going to go with a no there. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say."

The 3 of us started to run now, getting back to the reception room ahead of it. "What now? We've just gone around in a circle."

"We can lead him outside." My Godfather insisted, making a beeline for the capsule. "Come on, get in."

Oh, no, no, no... "Are we hiding?" Martha asked as I was literally dragged inside, taking deep breaths with my eyes closed. It was small, so small, I couldn't breathe, we were running out of air... This thing wasn't supposed to hold more than one person, I needed to get out... "Nia, Nia, calm down! It's alright! Doctor, she's claustrophobic or something!"

As she wrapped her arms around me, something I strangely trusted her to do, he just got to work with something. "I know. I know, and I'm sorry, but this was why it was a last resort. But this is his masterpiece, I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us. Nia, love, my little Wanderer, it's alright, just keep breathing." What else was a I going to fucking do, become a fish and drown on land?

Martha didn't like the plan so far. "But we're trapped in here with a terrified butterfly!"

"Yeah, that's a slight problem. Her race tend to get a little murdery when cornered." I could control it. I'd been doing it since I was locked in a cupboard my first day of school. "Nia, honestly, it's fine, just keep breathing. Just remember to breathe."

"I am breathing, moron! In your own time, Doctor!" He was faffing about trying to get something, so I used my tail to take out the lipstick and give it to him. "Don't ask, just hurry up."

The companion, still holding me in a tight hug which was nice as she smelt of honey and allspice, moved a little as he slid down to the floor. "I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"

The Doctor didn't look at her as he kept working. Or at least I hoped he was working, my own eyes were closed so I couldn't see. "No, for once it's strictly human in origin." He told her, Martha far nicer than Rose. "Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus' DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."

She understood now. "So it's a throwback."

"Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there." I told her, my eyes being shut giving my mind the clarity it needed to work things through. "Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box." Loved that name. Pandora.

My Godfather nodded. "Exactly. Nice shoes by the way, Nia. Where'd you find Steampunk Doc's?"

I shrugged. "Mum found them." Then I whimpered as everything started to shake and clung tighter to Martha. Fear, the emotion I could never control. "Doctor, what's happening?"

"Sounds like he's switched the machine on." He told us, sounding out of breath and stressed. "I was hoping it was going to take him a little longer to work out. "Tail, Nia!" I grabbed it myself, the barbed end cutting my palm but I ignored it, stopping from hurting him. "I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

You smart SOB. "That might just work. When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication, so he's spreading himself thin."

"We're going to end up like him!"

Only then the Doctor did something and the machine stopped, both of them guiding me to the room again. "Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Yeah, Nia, it's fine." Martha told me softly. "I thought we ere about to go through the blender then."

"Really shouldn't have taken that long just to reverse the polarity." He sighed, going to take my hand but instead he started to bind it with the ribbon from around the middle of my dress. "Please, love, be careful. I've got to get you back to your mum yet."

Martha then brought out attention back over to the naked man, lying facedown on the ground. "Oh, God. He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful."

There was nothing more pitiful than dying when all you wanted to do was live. "Eliot saw that too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but with a whimper."

Once my wings and tail were hidden away again, we headed outside again, where people were waiting. Especially Mrs Jones who stormed right over and slapped my Godfather but he grabbed me before I could whack her one right back. "Keep away from my daughter, both of you."

"Mum, what are you doing?"

"All of the mothers. Every time." He complained, rubbing his cheek. "Even yours has hit me, Nia." Mum was a pacifist! Go mum though, seriously.

Mrs Jones was not listening. "They are dangerous, even the girl. I've been told things."

OK, even I was confused. "What are you talking about? You don't know me, no one knows me. It's my whole thing."

"Look around you, creature." Oh, brilliant. What was I, a Golem? "Nothing but death and destruction."

Martha stood in front of us as I went to go for her. "This isn't their fault and Nia is just a kid! There's nothing to fear in her, she's more in control of her emotions than anyone I have ever met."

"And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place." Leo added, not looking overly bothered. "I'd say technically it's her fault."

Only as Tish elbowed him, there was a crash from the direction the ambulance carrying Lazarus went. The Doctor and I just started to run together, getting followed by Martha and Leticia as we found the back of the ambulance open. And full of dessicated corpses. "Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known, really."

"Not helping." I told him, scanning with the sonic lipstick and my head sensor. "Church. This way."

Tish shook her head. "Cathedral. It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

Which mean that he knew the grounds and had an advantage, brilliant. "Do you think he's here?" Martha asked, looking around nervously.

"Where else would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?"

We walked carefully towards the altar, before finding Lazarus shivering behind it, wrapped in the red shock blanket. "I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sounds of the planes and the bombs outside."

The Doctor nodded knowingly. "The Blitz."

"You've read about it."

He shook his head, arms around me gently, my wings down by my side. "I was there."

"You're too young."

"So are you."

That made him laugh before there were more awful cracking noises, his body wanting to change. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

How scared could you be to do something like this. "That's what you were trying to do today? What about the people who died?"

Lazarus just shrugged. "They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done the same." My Godfather told him lowly. "You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse to cling to life with every fibre of being." He insisted as I realised something. I didn't feel the same way for my life. I didn't have that basic fear every other human did. "I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful."

"Look at yourself!" I shouted at him, my usually soft, emotionless voice loud and passionate. I loved doing this, allowing myself to feel. "You're mutating! You have no control over it! You call that a success?"

Another shrug. "I call it progress. I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human."

I shook my head. "There's no such thing as an ordinary human. I know this and I am only half."

He started to convulse again before Martha leaned over to us. "He's going to change again, any minute."

The Doctor nodded, pushing me towards her. "I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow. I've got an idea that might work."

Oh, that was high... Even if I fell, there was a chance I couldn't get my wings out in time because of the speed at which I was falling. "Up there?"

"You're sentimental Doctor. Maybe you're older than you look. You certainly care for Niara more than if she was just a Goddaughter."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone. And that... That's why I care so much for Niara. Because it's just starting for her." What? Please, oh, please, no... We know nothing of the Stryx, their life spans...

But the old man didn't want to listen. "That's a price worth paying."

I hadn't started paying yet and I was dreading the first bill through my door. Mum, Luke, Maria, Clyde... I couldn't be alone. "Is it?"

"I will feed soon."

The Doctor moved forward, putting himself in front of Martha, Tish and I. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"You've not been able to stop me so far."

Oh, I wasn't letting this happen. "Leave him, Lazarus! He's old and bitter. I thought you had a taste for fresher meat?"

His face was a picture of fear. "Niara, no!"

I started to run as Lazarus went for me, my tail slashing open his face before Martha, and Tish, were running by my side. "Dafuq are you both doing?"

"Keeping you out of trouble." Doing badly by the look of it. "Doctor! The Tower!"

We made it to the narrow staircase, which I was vertically scaling, before we paused, hearing an alarming noise. "He's changed again. Keep moving, we've got to lead him up!"

"Niara! Martha?!" We both stuck our heads out over the balcony as we reached it. "Take him to the top. The very top of the bell tower, do you hear me?"

How could we not? "Up to the top! Then what?!"

Only Tish pulled us back in as the real mutant started to run for us, so we lead it up to the very top of the bell tower. Martha took charge now, meaning as Lazarus got in there with us, she stood in front. "Stay behind me. If he takes me, make a run for it, both of you. Head down the stairs. You shouve have enough time." We both tried to argue in vain. "Just do it, Tish, Niara!"

Lazarus decided to go under the bell towards us, lashing out with it's tail, hitting both Martha and I, meaning I held on one handed as she pulled at me. "Martha! Nia!" Tish screamed. "Hold on! Get away from them!"

Organ notes started to reverberate around us, hurting all of us as my grip started to fail. The monster fell first, hitting the ground below us as I screamed with the effort of lifting a fully grown human back up. Tish grabbed her when she could, but then my fingers slipped, slick with sweat. And I started to fall.

It's strange, falling.

You expect some to overcome you, to be screaming the whole way down, but it was the opposite. I felt free as I moved steadily down towards the ground, like, there was nothing in the universe that could catch me or ever slow me down.

It was only when I realised that I hadn't hit the ground, and that everyone had stopped screaming my name that I'd stopped falling. Because my wings were beating hard to keep me about 100ft off the ground. "Nia!" The Doctor laughed as I slowly dropped in height to the church floor, where he'd just closed the eyes of an elderly Lazarus. "You kept yourself up!"

"Yeah..." I nodded, my back muscles aching from the strain and the gash on my hand had bled through the bandage. It was healing, but my heart was pounding so hard my blood was rushing everywhere. "How did I do that? And since when do you play piano?""

"Organ." Same thing. "And you pick up a few things, if you hadn around with Beethoven."

Martha and Tish appeared now, the sisters standing close. I wanted a sister, why couldn't Luke have been a girl? "Especially about playing loud."

He then pretended to go deaf, before leading the way back to the remnants. Mrs Jones was nowhere to be found, but Leo was waiting for his sisters as the Doctor stood with me. "Questions. Go."

I nodded a little, my tail and wings tucked back away. "How long?"

"On average, the female Stryx was rumoured to live for about 7000 years." Oh, God, so long... "I don't know how long you'll live, Niara. Chances are, you'll live for at least half of that."

"And when everything here is gone? Mum, my life?"

The Doctor took my hand gently. "Then I'll be here. Time Lords live just as long, if not longer. I won't leave you alone, Nia, I promise."

"Thank you." I whispered, wanting nothing more that to just curl back up in a world of fantasy and never remove myself. "I should go. If mum sees this all over the news, chances are she'll end getting out of bed while burning a temperature of 40'c."

"You sure I can't give you a lift?"

"No, I'm fine. I want to walk, clear my head." I replied, taking my coat from someone handing them out before handing back the Doctor's suit jacket. "Just... Feel free to visit. Please? I could use someone who gets excited about my wings. No one does."

To which he just hugged me tight for a long moment, kissing my long hard hair. "I'll try. I'm keeping an eye out for Stryx. I'll find your dad, OK?" I nodded and went to start walking home, the 20 miles to Ealing. "Nia?" I turned back, my hair half falling across my face before I could stop it. And he just took a photo. "Just to show him. Prove that he had an incredible daughter to come and find. I'll see you soon, Little Wanderer."

I didn't say anything, just started to walk again. I refused to be lonely. I would not let time be the boss of me and take away my family.


	6. Designer Halfling

"Mum?" I asked softly, putting my head around the door of her room once I'd changed and washed the crap out of the gash in my hand. It had practically healed now, just a minute line left. "Mum, are you awake?"

There was a pause before her lamp switched on, a puffy eyed and red nosed Sarah Jane Smith looking blearily at me. "Hey, baby. How was it tonight?"

Best not say much while she was still so sick. If she had a fever, she'd end up getting really poorly and that was not something I ever wanted. "Eventful. How are you feeling? What's your temperature?" I asked her, sitting down next to her on the bed as I passed her a mug of lemsip.

"Better now you're home. Come here, you." And she pulled me to lie next to her, cuddling together in her giant bed like we used to living with Great Aunt Lavinia. "We don't do this anymore. I miss it."

"You are so drugged on lemsip." I laughed, enjoying it all the same. "But you're right, we don't. You're working, or I'm reading, or at school. Then there's also Luke, Maria, Clyde, fighting aliens. I'm almost 15, I'm taking GCSE's alongside my Masters degrees for crying out loud."

Which made her hug me tighter as I realised what I'd reminded her of. I was growing up and likely to fly the coop any time soon. "I remember when you were 5 years, 5 months, 5 seconds old. All those UNIT doctors on standby, none of them the one I really wanted and I used no epidural, no pain relief, no gas and air. My waters broke on December 30th and I spent two days in screaming agony, swearing like a sailor to bring you into the universe. Midnight exactly on January the 1st."

I'd heard this story so many times before, every time that she got nostalgic about how tiny I used to be. Not that I was particularly big now, but I was almost record breakingly small for a full term baby. "If I'd have had you at a normal hospital, you'd have been a prize winning baby, but the moment you were given to me, you were my prize, my special baby. 4lbs 9oz. Your uncle Brig called you his Christmas Faery because you were lighter than the one on top of the Snowdon Christmas Tree."

Smiling, I pulled the covers further over us, knowing that I couldn't catch her cold anyway. I'd never been ill, not beside a slight amount of asthma when I was very little. I'd broken my wrist twice, but I'd never been ill. "To the point that he bought me a faery dress for my birthday every year until he saw that I was more of a tomboy and then started teaching me how to fight using Katanas."

Mum kissed my head again, turning away to cough for a moment, before sighing and sounding sad. "Almost 15 years old. Niara, that tiny baby I raised to be incredible. I don't know where all that time has gone. It's seems like yesterday you were getting your first tool kit and made the microwave remote controlled because you could reach to put things in and take them out, but the buttons were too high." 4 year old problems. "You'll be gone soon, off to uni, or off travelling."

Hugging her tighter, I wished there was a way to reassure her that wouldn't wouldn't happen, that I would never leave, but how? I couldn't stay still, I had to explore, to find what was out there. To know what I wanted to do in the world, like mum had done. "But no matter what, I'll always come back. This is where I belong, mum, with you, and Luke. Bannerman Road is where I made my nest, knowing that come spring, when I fly back after a hiding for a long winter, I'll always have somewhere to rest my head."

But there was no reply as I realised she was already asleep again, looking so frail and breakable, unlike me. Had she ever known that I was going to live a much longer life than anyone else in my life now? Because if she had, maybe it would have been kinder to have killed me in the womb. Only she would have been alone, so alone. I couldn't ever let that happen.

Carefully, I slipped out of the bed and turned off the light and went to the attic, hoping that my brother wasn't awake for the moment. "Mr Smith, silently, I need you."

For some reason, he listened to that part and came out without the fanfare, just showing the news footage of myself and the Doctor. There were no shots of me clearly, just flashes of my blue dress, and my name wasn't there but I was listed as a young heroine. "Hello, Niara. I see you had an eventful evening with some new friends?"

"Eat me, nuts and bolts." I shot back at him, rolling my eyes. "Block all the news regarding the Lazarus Experiment until mum is better, first off." And surprisingly he obeyed again. I might have designed and built him, but he was definitely sentient. "Second, do you have access to UNIT files?"

"Depending on how classified, yes. What are you wishing to find, Niara?"

I closed the door with my tail as I sat down. "A secret mission from the 23rd of November 1991 to the 7th of January '92. Mount Snowdon and it was overseen by Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Codenamed Operation Skylark."

There was a pause, before a giant classified banner came up across the screen. "My apologies. It has been blocked by the Brigadier himself. I can keep trying, but I can be potentially traced."

Which was not worth it. "No, don't worry about it. Is my old push bike still in the shed?" It was bright pink and had burnt tassels from where I'd ben pissed with them, but it would do.

"Yes, though I believe it is far more than a push bike after the last you modified it." Oh, hella yes. My bike was bad ass. "Will you be needing the Brigadiers address?"

"Does he still work at the totally top secret and utterly need to know only UNIT base in Tower of London?"

"Yes."

"Then I know exactly where to go." I smiled brightly, patting his keyboard. "Tell Luke where I am when he wakes up."

The computer agreed and retreated into the wall and I headed to the garage, my hood up and my jeans got tucked into the Docs. It was still early by the time I made it out of Ealing and into the main city, but people were still everywhere, watching my bike move at a similar speed to the surrounding cars.

The Tower technically wasn't open for tourists when I got there, but was still heavily guarded, so I locked up a few streets away and started to climb up onto the surrounding roofs. From there, I dropped lightly down within the walls, avoiding sensor lights and guards before I made it into the main building. I kept walking, my hood over my face, until I found an unattended computer, some guy having been playing GALAGA on it, before I got up building schematics.

Brigadier, Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, room 7C on the top floor, next to some Osgood woman. So I climbed up to the top of a lift to avoid a camera, plus the normal keys so the Doctor couldn't wander off unattended if visiting, and picked the lock on his door. It was a nice office, if a bit basic, with a few photos of him and his daughter, him with younger Doctors, and just one of him holding 4 year old me, sullen faced in a Faery dress.

Best part of the room? The spinny chair that I spent about 10 minutes spinning around in before a key turned in the lock. My hearing was that pin point, that I could hear a pin drop in the middle of a rave. It had happened, but no one even knew I'd been at that rave. Mostly because I hadn't actually been there, I was walking past. That's how good my hearing can be.

Freezing, I ducked behind the curtain on the windowsill, my tail and wings securely tucked away before I heard his voice. "Yes, Kate, I'll have a look at the Peru papers you sent me. No, I will not just feed them to the cats this time. I'll have my tea at 11 as usual, thank you."

The door closed again, the blonde woman with him walking off to do something else as Uncle Brig sat down in the chair I'd just vacated. He pretended to look at the papers on Peru for a moment, before throwing them down into a cat litter tray beside his desk. Nice, he got pets at work. "8 minutes, 43 seconds. That's a new best, little Fae."

"Damn, I thought I avoided all the camera!" I laughed, jumping down from my perch to show him where I'd been hiding. "Where did you catch me?"

"I didn't. There was a flash movement on the north perimeter then, but Mace assumed it was a bird because a human couldn't move that fast. I knew it must have been you when I got into my office, because you put my books in the correct order." He smiled, getting back up to give me a tentative bear hug, avoiding my delicate wings. "If there is anything you love, it's your books, Nia."

He honestly did have me there, there was no way anyone could argue with that. My room looked like a library, or one of those second hand book shops. "I read that one of applied alien language, it was quite interesting, actually. I've given it to Luke to read."

Uncle Alistair nodded, leaning on his desk as I sat on the chair in front of his desk. "Yes, how is it with a new brother, Niara? You were always the joy of your mother's life, it must be strange for her to pay him attention as well."

"He's annoying, but what little brothers aren't?" I sighed, my long hair falling over my face. "It's about mum I came, actually. She's reached the point where she is not out of the past, just thinking about when I was a baby. Always reminiscing and not wanting me to do anything without her."

"My wife reached a similar stage with our own daughter, and she didn't spend more than two days in labour, with no relief." He agreed. "Took months for her to stop talking about how small she used to be. I take it Sarah Jane is just the same? Perhaps she is worse, given how badly she fought for you to not be taken away and have tests run on you."

With another sigh, I nodded. Mum had always fought for me, it was time for me to fight for her, to make sure that she had the best life possible. "I thought if I could get hold of some things, some of the photos and notes from when she had me up in Snowdon, it could help, maybe? She's lost a lot through the years, I need to remind her that she won't lose me. Is that possible?"

Uncle Brig thought for a moment, playing with the end on his cane, secretly a shot gun. I loved my Uncle Brig, he was absolutely awesome. "I can't see why not. But there is a slight dilemma of my not being in charge of archives from that era any longer. Your names have been struck from those records, but they can still be accessed by others with a high enough clearance level. I could get them, but not without a big of a struggle, and perhaps some of your help."

Uh, people had access to my birth stuff, including photos of my wings. "Who do I have to hack and blackmail?"

"Osgood. Like our mutual friend, she isn't overly fond of her real name, and both my daughter and I are fond of her." He replied firmly. "You will not scare her into an asthma attack, you didn't much like it when Harry used to do it to you." Because Harry was a bit of a dick until then, and then made it up to me with a lot of ice cream. I liked Harry after that. "Come, we'll go and talk to her now."

To which we walked all of 5ft up the corridor into her own office, full of half done experiments, many mugs of coffee and at least 6 inhalers dotted all around the room. Hmmm, if only there was a surefire way to help her if she had an asthma attack... Maybe turn the whole room into an inhaler? "Sir Brigadier, um, hello." Pause to puff on her nearest inhaler. "What can I do for you?"

He put his hand lightly on my shoulder, trapping the very top of my wing but I ignored the feeling of them itching and bending from the weight. They may have been strong, but they were still as fragile as a butterflies beneath my skin. "Do you remember me mentioning a friend's daughter, Niara?"

"The Stryx Halfling you made me promise never to mention to anyone ever on the face of the Earth, which probably isn't what you wanted me to say." She seemed fun. If she babysat me and Luke, we could probably get away with doing anything. IE, ordering pizza and reading long past our bedtimes. It was safe to say that was about as rebellious as I cared to be half the time. "I've not touched the files, you said they were private."

"Yes, I know, Osgood. But this here is Niara herself, she would like to see the files on her... well, of her somewhat strange birth and the quirks that came with it. You are the keeper of that file." He explained as half my dark hair fell over my face, obscuring my eye as I felt them flicker blue. "Would you be so kind as to print her out a copy?"

Osgood looked a little hesitant, her stripey scarf wrapped multiple times around her throat to stop it catching on one of the three lit bunsen burners in the room. Why so many? "I'm not allowed to give access to anyone outside of you or the Lead Scientific Officer, not to that level of file."

You had to be kidding me. Seriously? "It's my file. Niara Andrea Smith, January 1st, 1992. The scientific term for what I am is the Humanous Astryxia Fae. It's my file, I have a right to see it, Osgood."

She looked at me for a long moment, half terrified by my tone and facial expression before she puffed the inhaler again. Stress induced stiffening and closure of the airways. Osgood was well and truly screwed if she ever did meet my Godfather. She's lose an inhaler and die of asphyxiation. So, so glad I didn't have to use mine any more, though I kept it in my bag just in case, because that would have made it harder when I was trapped in that capsule. "Perhaps if I could run some tests, verify that you are the same baby as the on in the file? Take some blood, do an X-Ray of your wings and such?"

Yeah, sure, whatever. During the first 7 years of my life I had so many check ups to ensure that I was safe and not sick from the mix of races. Like checking a designer mongrel for any defects, because that was really all I was. A designer halfling. "If that gives you what you need for me to be allowed to have a copy of my own file, then sure. Where do you want me?"

"Come and sit here, hold out one of your arms." She told me, taking some sanitiser to clean her hands before putting on surgical gloves. "If you're afraid of needles, I suggest you look away."

I wasn't and watched the thin, sharp needle break through my pale, papery skin to then draw blood. Once she'd filled the vial with dark blue blood, flecked with red, she held it up to the light to examine it closely. "This is incredible. How can you risk going out in public when just a paper cut could out you? Blood should turn red when it's oxidised, but yours stayed blue."

"When unoxidised, my blood is white. Don't as, I got bored and got Mr Smith to check. And besides, it's called not taking risks in public." I shrugged, holding a cotton pad over the pinprick left over from the removal of the needle. "While I'm at school, I do little more than read and skip classes that are far too boring. I'm not even allowed to play sports when I am ridiculously good at running and catching, simply because I could risk showing my wings. What's next?"

Next up was a trip to an X-Ray theatre, then an MRI, and after that a CT scanner. All of which were mind numbingly boring for myself, but Osgood was in awe of my DNA and wings. To her, my wings were that of a Nymph, a type of water Faery. I'd never even been swimming, I had no idea whether or not I really liked water beyond a shower.

"Honestly, I've never seen DNA so well designed, Miss Smith. You have the perfect immune system to ensure you never sicken. Your blood is fast congealing and has regenerative abilities. Your tail and wings are your defence and offence, but they also easily camouflaged into your skin, so well designed that you're able to blend in with the whole planet. It's all really making me start to wonder if you were really natural and not planned. Your body is far too well designed." I just looked at her, trying not to wince as my wings retreated back beneath my skin. "Nia, your mum, does she say much regarding your father?"

"They loved each other, but he needed to go home. She didn't know she was expecting me until a month after he left and couldn't call him back." I replied, knowing that story like I knew the back of my hand. "His name was Elijah and he had larger, darker wings, and a tail that could cut through steel."

Even Uncle Brig knew the story, nodding along with me before handing me my jacket, covering the intricate lines on my back. "Sarah Jane would never take part in a genetic study regarding a foetus. Niara is just a fluke, being as perfect as she is, or perhaps she is just an example of evolution at it's finest." That was clearly not true or I would be far better at dealing with things like social situations.

"I see." She clicked on a few things on her computer before a nearby printer whirred. "Your genes perfectly match. You're definitely the Fledgling from the files. I hope you find what you've been looking for in them."

"Thank you." I told her, stuffing them into a ring binder and then into my bag. "OK, Luke will be worried by now, I need to go."

Uncle Alistair grabbed his car keys out of his pocket. "I have a bike rack from the last time I went camping with Daniel and Georgie, I'll drop you back, Faery."

Which I could never refuse because he was my mums best friend and he would get upset. I really didn't like to upset him, he'd been the only one there for us after Great Auntie L died and Brendan moved to America. My middle name had almost been Lavinia for crying out loud, they were so close.

He drove me home at the same speed I could have gone on my bike, not that I was going to tell him that, and fairly soon he was dropping me back off at the end of Bannerman Road. "Thank you, Uncle Brig. Are you really about to be shipped off to Peru?"

Alistair sighed, taking his cap off to rub his thinning hair before looking at me. "There's something someone of my... My expertise could be used for out there, so they're saying that soon I should go. I just think that it's a trap and I would like to retire again fairly soon. I tried it once before, it didn't stick, but this time I could make it work." Just don't go back to teaching maths. "I want to focus on my grandchildren and gardening."

"Then why can't you tell them that? Retire and just enjoy life?" I asked, brushing my hair off my face carefully. "What's stopping you? Surely you're one of UNIT's leaders?"

"Because if I don't go, then Kate, Katherine, has to." So that's who Kate was... She used to be like my older cousin, she'd babysit me if mum had to go off and do something with UNIT with Uncle Brig. I hadn't seen her since she got married and had kids of her own. "I can't let her get hurt, just as your mother won't let you get hurt. Speaking of, have you informed her of what happened last night with Lazarus." Imitating my Godfather, I merely raised an eyebrow. "Obviously not. What happened to not taking risks, Niara?"

With a shrug, I peeled off the plaster from where the needle has slid through the 7 layers of my skin and into the thin tube that carted my royal blue blood, oxygenated, through my body, to draw out essential cells that were programmed to protect me from illness and heal me from injury. What had been a prominent, blue hole in the crook of my elbow was now nothing at all, my skin having really healed itself maybe 10 minutes after the initial piercing of the skin, not needing long at all to repair all the layers. "Because what is life without risk? I have spent every day with my head in a book, hiding emotions so that I don't get found. I'm bored, because I'm reading about girls that just get to live incredible lives, and I'm just... I can do things without her knowing, without her getting worried, and I'm not bored as often. I love my life with her, fighting aliens, but there aren't attacks every day. I just want to enjoy my life instead of being afraid of it."

He looked at me hard for a heartbeat, before making me move my legs to get his wallet out of his glovebox. Where he then took out a small card for me to look at.

Name: Smith, Niara Andrea

Code Name- Skylark

Clearance-Level Two

My school photo was there, looking just as sullen and bored as it had when I'd first been shown it, before back up at him. "What you did last night, even without that man and woman's help, that is exactly what we need at UNIT, Nia. You don't have to do anything that you don't want to, I pity the man who ever tries to pressure you into doing anything, but there are always things for bright young sparks to be doing. Think about it and get back to me."

Nodding, I silently hugged him goodbye and went into the house, my bike getting hidden at the back of the shed again, behind mums old yellow bug. "Nia?" Luke asked, coming out of the kitchen with a tray of soup, tea and flowers for mum. "On the news-"

"Little brother, save it. I'll talk to you both about it when she's better. For the moment, just take her the tray, OK?"

Luke nodded and did as he was told, before I went into my own room, flicking the dim lights on as I'd blacked out my windows long ago. Light hurt my eyes, something about the Stryx being natural born hunters. It just made the room kinder to my retna's, anyway. I paused to change into a thin vest and leggings, my tail and wings comfortably out in the open, before sitting at my desk, the only organised part of my room. Beyond the books being in the Dewey Decimal system, at any rate, but that was just being kind to the books.

My binder was a little battered with a monkey on the front, but I just cast it aside in favour of the information inside, which I started to skim through in search of things to put inside a nice book for mum. Unit I just started to read it, getting lost in my DNA patterns and the comparison of mine against mums. I was more Stryx than human, and Osgood was right. If my entire gene sequence and DNA programming was a fluke, then it was a bloody big coincidence.

Then there was my MRI scan, showing that the imagination centre of my brain and the part of me that was creative and craved fantasy over reality, was 4 times larger than a humans. Like my brain was able to create fictional or, or imaginative worlds around myself. I was harbouring a better brain than even Luke with his perfect memory, because it didn't matter what was real, simply what I imagined hard enough.

My brain was just got so invested in what I was reading that at some point it must have just switched off and I had one of my rare sleeps. Until mum shook me awake and I jerked, the papers getting flattened by a tower of books that fell. "Hey, hey, it's only me, baby." She smiled, catching me before I fell off the chair. "I rarely catch you off guard like that. I rarely catch you sleeping. Were you making something?"

"Yeah, um, yeah. Something like that." I agreed, kicking my fallen UNIT badge out of sight before she saw. She might like UNIT, most of the time, but she wouldn't want me working around quite so many guns. "You look better. How do you feel?"

"Good. Ready to get back to work, that's for sure. Luke said you had something to talk to us about?"

Of course he did. My brother who didn't understand anything. "I'll tell you in a minute. Go make yourself a mug of tea and I'll come down when I'm dressed." I smiled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes before she kissed my head and toddled off down the stairs. I started to hide all of the files, stuffing them back into the binder, but paused, staring at a photo of myself in my mothers arms, surrounded by doctors. "What the hell..."

One of them had tried to duck out of shot, but half of his face remained in the frame. A face that I had poured over as a child. I quickly grabbed a photo of a man from under my pillow, a tall, broad shouldered man with dark brown eyes and hair, a stoic expression on his face as he wore his usual well tailored suit. The same man as in the photo of my birth, only this one was written on.

Elijah Reid, March 1991. 9 Months before Niara 3

He'd been there this whole time...

"Niara Andrea Smith, get your butt down here now!"

Guess that thought was going to have to be put on pause, while I tried to argue my way out of being grounded...


	7. Age With Grace

I was in the back. Mum's eldest and biological child had been banished to the backseat with her youngest brother in favour of Clyde. This was not fair. "My nan and Mrs Randall go way back. She used to live next door until her old fellow died. Nan says there's no way Mrs Randall sees things or makes things up."

Mum nodded thoughtfully as we pulled into the retirement home. "And it's not just her that's been scared by this ghostly nun? Other residents have see it?"

"Yeah, always at night, in their rooms."

So we headed off to see Mrs Randall, myself not taking my nose out of my latest literary find. Ash, by Malinda Lo. A gay version of Cinderella, far better than the original, and with an awesome twist of the Faeries. But Mrs Randall was nothing but the annoying sort of old lady though, the busy body, so I wasn't overly interested in listening. "Nora Connelly saw her first. She'd been to the loo. Oh, dreadful trouble she has with her waterworks. 3 or 4 times every night. She comes out of the bathroom and there she is, the nun, by her chest of draws."

"And what happened?"

"Well, she fainted clean away like a schoolgirl. No constitution at all. Surprised, the amount of times she's been married." What the hell did that have to do with anything? "Since then, all of us have seen her. Them that's not too ga-ga to notice, anyways."

My mother managed to give her a weak smile. "Well, thank you for your help, Mrs Randall."

The elderly woman now started to primp her hair. "So, will there be a photographer? You wouldn't think it, but I was in all the papers once. Miss Ealing of 1951."

"Well, it depends." Mum told her carefully. "I'll have to talk to the manager first."

She put a hand on Clyde's shoulder and he sent a 'help me' look in my direction. Ha, fat chance. You got crumbs on my Angel Graphic Novel when you borrowed it. "While you do that, I've got a few little jobs for Clyde to do. Your grandma said you wouldn't mind and your girlfriend is probably needed with her mum."

Only before I could unleash my acid tongue to inform her that I was most assuredly not Cly's girlfriend, mum had already dragged me off to talk to the manager. Lucky luke got to wander off by himself, but I was still grounded after Lazarus. Not exactly my fault that I got an apprenticeship with a bloke who accidentally turned himself into a giant scorpion. I just knew it would happen and applied anyway. "I understand you're looking for a good story, Miss Smith. Might I suggest Westminster for something rather more newsworthy?"

"You don't believe Lavender Lawns is haunted then?" I asked, not looking up from my book.

"Oh, one of the old dears has a nightmare, tells her friend's she's seen a ghost. Next thing, what do you know? They've all seen one. It's hysteria, Niria." Again, I went to lash out verbally, but mum stopped me. "It's as simple as that."

Something told me it was a little more than that. "Perhaps. Or maybe it's a cry for attention." And finally looked up, my hazel eyes briefly going blue. "There's a story."

After I had successfully startled her, we headed back to the car, Clyde joining us after he was released from his chores. "Why is it, old people want you to do everything for them? Turn the mattress over, take that spider out of the bath. And she just assumed Ni was my girlfriend! I came here looking for spooks, not jobs and relationship advice!"

"Everyone gets old, Clyde." Mum replied, playing with my hair absently. "Even you."

"Ah, no, not me. Way technology's moving, by the time I'm 40, I can get my brain put into a robot and live forever."

"Oh..." Mum sighed, evidently thinking of the Cybermen. He realised exactly what it entailed to live forever, and he'd probably go for aging with grace. But then Luke appeared for the first time in a while, making her frown at my little brother. "Where've you been?"

He shrugged, looking shifty. "Just looking around."

She bought it, but I didn't, I just didn't get a chance to say so as we were getting ushered into the car. "Come on, let's get going before Nia punches someone."

We all got back in there, this time with me in the front, as it should have been before hand, and started to bead off home. "So what's the story? Is this place haunted, or what?"

"I don't know, but there's something about it here I don't like."

"Mr Smith, we need you."

Once we were back home in the attic, he came sliding out of the wall again, the fanfare blaring. "Yes, Sarah Jane, Niara, what can I do for you?"

Mum got right to the point. "The Lavender Lawns Rest Home is apparently being haunted by a nun. We need you to access Central Land Registry Database for us and see if there's anything historically to support the possibility."

"Of a haunting."

Suck it up. "Just run the check, Mr Smith." I yawned, my tail and wings coming free with a soft flutter. "Oh, that's so much better."

Clyde laughed a little, in awe of my wings like he usually was. Well, they weren't something you got to see every day. "Doesn't Mr Smith believe in ghosts?"

"Not as such." Mum replied stiffly. "And neither do Nia and I." Speak for yourself. I kept rocksalt and iron by my bed, given that we already knew part of what was out there.

"There's no record of any past ecclesiastical building on the site of Lavender Lawns."

Thought as such. "So no obvious reason for the home to be haunted by a nun then."

Mr Smith wasn't impressed by my choice of words. "I assume that by haunting, you mean the projection of energies imprinted of psychic assimilating matter."

Duh. "Obviously." Clyde didn't understand. "Events get recorded on their surroundings, then, under certain circumstances, get played back."

Then shit hit the proverbial fan. If it actually happened, then I would be no where near it. "Sarah Jane, are you aware that Luke has brought an unidentified element of alien technology into the attic?"

She looked at him sharply as he looked at a strange talisman. "Whoa, Luke!" Clyde breathed. "No way did that come off the shopping channel!"

"Give it to me, Luke."

The good boy did as he was told, giving it to her as I prepped Mr Smith to scan it. "One of the residents, Mrs Nelson-Stanley, gave it to me. I had to keep it a secret. Sorry, was that wrong?"

"I don't know." Mum admitted. "Mr Smith, is it safe?"

"Insufficient data." It was OK you didn't have a clue, Mr Smith. "I'd like to carry out a detailed analysis."

At which point Maria stormed on, slamming the door so loud that I flinched and snarled at her, my tail whipping the air dangerously. "Do you mind? There's a lot of sensitive equipment in here, let alone poor Niara's ears."

She realised she'd been took angry and looked sheepish. "Sorry. So, what's going on?"

Clyde was thoroughly enjoying his first official case. "Some old biddy's given Luke an alien gizmo."

My brother nodded. "She said that the nun wasn't a ghost and now it's looking for the talisman."

"Well, I'd better go back and talk to Mrs Nelson-Stanley." Mum informed us, before looking at Maria. "Do you want to come with me? You three, stay here. Niara is in charge. Nia, an apt punishment for them annoying you is not locking them in the cellar." Boring. "No arguments, do as Niara says." Then she thought for a moment. "Within reason, she's known for being harsh."

Oh, thanks for that.

Mum and Maria headed out, discussing how her mother was back though, making me sigh. Looked like I had a few days of being called anything but my name. I had to deal with Nile, Nila, Nera, Nero, Kiera and Kiara.

Luckily for now, Clyde decided he was going to try and teach Luke how to play paper rugby, so i got to just sit at the other end of the attic with my book. Until the door went and I had to go and answer it so they both followed. "What?"

"Hello, I'm Sister Helena from St Agnes Abbey, and who might you be?"

"He's Luke, that's Clyde and I'm none of your business." I told her, going to close the door. "Whatever you're selling, we're not interested."

Only she stuck her hand on the door. "And which one of your fine friends here were at Lavender Lawns today and left with a gift from one of the old ladies?"

"We don't know what you're talking about. Bugger off."

"How do you know she gave me anything?" Luke asked, making me groan and facepalm my book as Cly shoved him back and stood next to me himself. "She wouldn't have told you." We told him to can it, but he didn't understand. "Why are you hunting through old people's homes looking for talismans?"

This was why I never wanted a little brother. "Luke!"

"Boys, little Miss, you don't understand what you've got your hands on."

So? We didn't even understand Clyde half the time, didn't stop him from hanging around. "Well, you're not getting your hands on it either. Piss off."

"Give me the talisman!"

Before I could punch her and close the door, Alan came over so she put on the kind nun face again. "Hello, Sister. Collection, is it?"

She smiled at him kindly. "Abbey roof's don't fix themselves. That's one miracle we're still working on."

"Well, I always give to needy causes. You could say it's a good habit of mine." Wow, that was just... Wow. But Helena just took the tenner he was holding instead of the pound proffered before leaving. For now. "I was after Maria. She was a bit upset earlier. You haven't seen her, have you?"

I put my nose back into the book. "She's gone out with mum. I've been delegated babysitter."

Alan sighed a little. "Look, do me a big favour, will you? When they get back just tell her I was looking? Please?"

Must be nice to have a dad that cared. Not one that impregnates your mother and then watches from afar until you're born. How did I know that he wasn't still watching? "Yeah, sure." He thanked me and left, so I whacked Luke up the head with my book. He was so lucky I wasn't reading a hardback. "Listen, Luke. When weirdo nuns turn up on our doorstep asking about freaking glowing alien gizmos, one thing you never do is tell them you've got one."

"I didn't." Yeah, you kinda did. "We should call mum and tell her what happened."

"We should go round there."

I raised my eyebrows at Clyde. "Phoning is faster, unless you're suddenly Quicksilver?"

"We could go round there and get back in on the action."

"Not happening. I'm in charge and I say no." Only Clyde was already leading Luke outside. "Why do I even bother? Hold on!"

Dashing back into the house, I grabbed my bag with the sonic and my tools before running after. "Changed your mind then, Nia?"

Rolling my eyes, I shoved Clyde. "No, I just know that neither of you are strong enough to defend yourselves. I, on the other hand, have a slight genetic advantage. I'm here to stop you getting murdered by the nun from the Devil Within."

"Nah, you find me irresistible, really, don't you?" He teased, but then just smiled. "You're really cool, did you know that? The way you just don't really care, it's amazing."

"Clyde, I physically can't care. You've seen what happens when I'm pissed, my wings and tail come out. If I want to stay hidden, emotions are a big no-no." I explained, glancing up from my book to look at him. He seemed genuinely in awe of my lack of emotion in regard to what other people thought of me. Most boys had just thought me to be mad. To be Nee Naw Nia. "Why do I fascinate you so much?"

He shrugged, pretending not to care himself yet I saw right away that he was embarrassed by the question. "You don't. It was just an observation. I mean, you're an alien halfling, you've read more books than days you've been alive." 365x14=5110365-98=5377. Yeah, I'd read more books than that. "Your brother destroyed the world by giving the Slitheen an equation to turn off the sun, but you saved the day, slicing cables with your razor sharp tail. You have wings!"

Luke, who had silently been walking by my side, finally spoke up. "Is this flirting? Mum said that when a boy or a girl likes someone, they flirt to see if the feelings are reciprocated."

To which I looked back at Clyde quickly, my eyes wide open in shock. "No, no, no. It's just, just appreciation, admiration, that sort of thing, that's all." He said quickly, trying to dig himself out of a hole. Luckily for him, at that moment a hearse came screeching around the corner, stopping just in front of us. "Oh, no. It's Sister Sinister again."

"Don't run away, Luke. I won't hurt you." Helena told us as she walked closer. "I just want to have a little chat."

"What about?"

Clyde grabbed him quickly as I stepped in front, my hands clenched into fists. "Don't listen to her, Luke. No way is she a real nun."

"Whatever else would I be?"

"I don't know, but I bet you ain't got legs under them roves." Oh, God, please shut him up... "Just a bunch of slimy tentacles or something." Dear God, do it before I did!

Helena smiled before looking back to my little brother. "Your friend watches too much TV, your sister reads too many books." Not possible. Reading edifies the mind. "I think perhaps we could talk a little more sensibly without them. Jump in the car, we'll go to the abbey."

Luke shook his head, stepping back as I did. "I don't think so."

"You're safe with me."

I shook my head, voice low and dangerous. "We're not going anywhere with you."

"It's not an open invitation." She snapped at me. "Listen to your sister and her boyfriend here and you'll be in far more danger." Oh, for crying out loud, he was not my boyfriend! "But I can help you. I want to help you."

"The Talisman's dangerous?"

"More than you can imagine."

Then after another nun shoved Clyde and I to the side, forcing Luke into the hearse and then drove off before I could stop them. "Luke!" I shouted, before shoving my bag into Clyde's arms and started to run. "Call mum! Tell her I've gone after him!

I didn't give him a choice, running at my top speed after the hearse. They took Luke in through the main entrance of the Abbey so I climbed in through the window left open round the side, and started to sneak through. Only my tail knocked a statue of Jesus over with a crash. "Oh, now I understand those video's of dogs chasing their tails." I growled, knowing right off I didn't stand a chance against the 6 nuns that turned up. "Hello, ladies."

"Hello, Niara." They smiled at me, before I was manhandled again into a library. And from there, into a cupboard I was locked inside.

"Let me out, please, let me out!" I screamed, banging hard on the doors as my heart rate quickened. "Let me out!"

My screams seemed ineffectual against the psycho convent, but my phobia of small, enclosed spaces seemed to just make me scream and cry, anyway. No Martha here to comfort me this time. "Let me out, please, please, let me out!"

As I threw my body against the door for what felt like the millionth time, the door gave way and I ended up colliding with another small brunette. One who just held me tight and didn't let go until I stopped trembling and shaking. "I've got you, baby. Oh, I've got you, my Nia..." Mum whispered as I cried into her shoulder like a proper baby. "Oh, it's OK, it's going to be OK, baby..."

I hugged her back until eventually I calmed down enough to hide away my tail and wings again, but even then I held her hand tight. "They took Luke and I saw red. I just ran and broke in through a window. Then my tail knocked something and they found me."

"It's OK, I'm here now, but you can't just run after them, Niara. You did right by telling Clyde to get me but you should have stayed with him. Oh, look at you..." She wiped at my cheeks, kissing my forehead. "My baby, trying to protect her little brother."

"It was more that they called Clyde my boyfriend, actually." I admitted, my hair half falling over my face. "Everyone's doing that today, I don't know why."

Mum went to say something to that, but before she could, the door to the library opened and Luke was let through so he was next on the list to get a hug from her. "Luke! Oh, are you alright?" He nodded at her as I glared at the nun behind him. "So, what do you think you're doing, getting into a strangers car? For an intelligent boy, sometimes I can't believe how stupid you are. Your sister ran all the way here after you."

"I didn't just get in."

"Luke and Niara were never in any danger, Miss Smith, but it seemed bringing him and therefore his... mythical sister was the fastest way of getting your attention." She wrapped her arms around me as I growled lowly. "Although your other two friends were a surprise."

Helena snapped her fingers, just as Clyde and Maria ran in, the boy colliding with me. "We found Mrs Gribbins."

Maria nodded, standing beside mum. "She's been turned to stone." Really? Sweet.

"Unfortunately Mrs Gribbin's always was something of a useless old fossil." Actually, that was a pretty good joke.

"Are you really protecting a Gorgon here?"

The nun raised her eyebrows at my mother. "A creature with writhing serpents for hair? Those melodramatic Greeks. They never could resist embellishing a story." A world of fiction was the perfect place to make things whatever you wanted. I loved fiction... "But yes, as you've seen, the myth isn't entirely without foundation." Now a veiled woman was brought in, hissing.

"But it's an alien, right?"

"The Gorgon's travelled to our world 3000 years ago. Once there were 3, now only one."

My eyes were fixed on the creature as I felt them from hazel to blue again. "A real, live Gorgon."

She nodded at me. "Generations of our Sisters protected the Gorgon's down the centuries."

Clyde, who was still close to me, shook his head in confusion. "If she's survived 3000 years, what happened to the other two?"

"One was killed during ancient days, when our sisterhood served Demeter. When the key was stolen."

"The key to whatever brought the Gorgons to Earth." Mum nodded. "And the sisters have been searching for it ever since. Did you get close once, Sister Helena? Maybe 50 years ago. Was that when the second Gorgon died?"

The nun nodded, malice in her eyes. "Professor Nelson-Stanley and his meddlesome wife." Was that a play on Scooby Doo? It sounded like a play on Scooby Doo. "But you have the key now, Miss Smith. I'm sure you will be more reasonable."

Mother just shook her head. "I wouldn't bet on it. Kidnapping, locking girls in cupboards, turning people to stone? No, no, not the kind of things that make me feel reasonable."

"Sarah Jane, 3000 Years is a long time, even for a being with a Gorgon's lifespan." Try being at the beginning of a 7000 year one, mate, then complain. "She is old. The Talisman opens a portal to the Gorgon's world. She only wants to go home to die. You can that, can't you?"

That had to be fiction. "Why should we believe you?"

"Your mother has no choice, young Demon Child."

"She's a Fledgling." Mum snapped, moving me behind her as she stepped forwards. "All right, we'll get it."

Helena shook her head. "The boys and your daughter stay here."

Her grip around me tightened. "No! Niara does not leave my side!"

"They'll be perfectly safe, as long as you don't try to deceive us. Niara especially." Did not like the sound of that. Not that I had a choice. Not all of us had the option of growing old with grace. Not all of us had the option of growing old with those she loved.


	8. Evil Goblet of Fire

Why was I always stuck babysitting? I mean, I was Luke's sister, but Clyde? Clyde was the annoying one normally, but he was actually being really nice, seeing that I'd been crying. I hated crying, always made me feel so much younger than I actually was.

"What happening, Ni, Luke?" He asked, boredly resting his head on my shoulder as we both read. "Is Sarah Jane really going to give that Gorgon thing the talisman?"

Yeah, right. "Of course, not. If the Gorgon only wanted to go home, then why would Mrs Nelson-Stanley be so scared of the nuns finding it? Mum knows that. She'll find a way of tricking them like we did with a Sphinx once."

"Are you sure of that?" He asked, moving to properly look at me, his dark chocolate eyes finding my hazel. "I mean, what if she doesn't?"

"She's our mother. I've been doing this kind of thing with her since I could walk, Clyde. She wouldn't let us down, she'll get us out of this."

Now he looked away to Luke before back to me. "All the same, we should be looking for a way of escaping, not catching up on our reading."

I just flipped him off, but Luke explained himself. "It's the history of the abbey. Originally, it was a private house, built in the 16th century." Fascinating. "That was during the reformation, when priests were being hunted."

My pointed ears pricked up as Clyde just got bored. "Look, I can get a history lesson any time I want, off Miss Pittman."

"Houses then had secrets, and I'm guessing you found them, huh, little brother?" I smiled, closing my own book with a sharp snap. "Shall we show Clyde what reading can do?"

He nodded and looked at Clyde himself. "Houses were built with escape rooms and secret passages. Houses like this one." Then turned the bust of Medusa 10 degrees on it's pedestal, and a panel opened next to the fireplace. And we just walked through. Never leave bookworms with an arsenal of a library.

We came out in the overgrown remains of the abbey church, though Clyde was sharing in my displeasure at how small the priest hole had become. "I'm telling you, I'd rather take my chances with the Gorgon than make like a mole through any more tunnels." Then trailed off as we reached a more formal garden, decorated with the Gorgon's victims. "Why couldn't they get garden gnomes like everyone else?"

"Or a warning, and we're taking it." I informed them, letting out my tail dangerously, thrashing in the cooling air. It was late in the year, autumn was starting to give way to winter, the time I could just relax into my work and reading without fear of burning my irises from blinding sun. That, and throw snowballs at Luke and get away with it. "Let's get out of here."

We made it to the front of the abbey as the Gorgon came back, accompanied by Helena who was smiling at her fellow nuns. "We have the key! Rejoice, sisters! The Gorgon's shall be free!" Only the 'Abbess' stumbled as she walked to the step. "Mother Abbess! She is weakening. We must open the portal, as soon as possible."

They headed inside and I nodded at the boys. "Now, while the coast is clear."

"I can't."

"What are you talking about?"

Luke shrugged. "I promised Mrs Nelson-Stanley that I wouldn't let them take the talisman. I've let her down."

Which made Cly roll his eyes. "When you promised her, did she tell you you'd be going up against a Gorgon and if you kept your word you'd probably end up as a garden ornament?"

"Well, no, but-"

But nothing, baby brother. "She wasn't straight with you, Luke, and until we get mum this is far beyond what I am capable of."

Only his eyes fixed on me. "Mum would never have given them the talisman unless something had happened. You know that, Niara." Oh he was getting too good a this. Pretty soon he'd be even smarter than me. "I just know that I'm not going to let the Gorgon win. But I'm going to need your help."

Which ended up being Clyde and I going up to the bell tower, holding a cord each as we waited for Luke's signal. Unfortunately, things were now a little awkward after the whole flirt thing, so we were just stood in stony silence. "About what happened earlier, Ni."

"Can we maybe do what I think will be you admitting feeling for me and that you don't want to make things awkward between us after we save the world from psycho nuns?" I asked, letting my wings out to give me a better movement and strength pulling the rope. "You're a YA novel cliché, Clyde. All your pick up lines, all your little quirks, I've been reading them since I was 6 years old."

"I was actually going to say that you're the most beautiful, intelligent girl that I have ever met, that you're maybe the only girl who I've actually card about what they think of me. So yeah, I do really like you, I'll admit that. But you're also the most guarded and untouchable girl, and I'm honestly terrified of you because of that." He told me, making me look right at him. I could see the truth in everything he was saying and my words failed me. "I also wanted to tell you that you're incredible and the sort of girl people would write books about."

My mouth went slack as I just stared at him, before I saw the signal from Luke and just dropped the signal completely. "Alright, Quasimodo, time to do your thing."

We both started to pull the cords on the bells, before just legging it to meet my brother in the courtyard. "Have you got it?" Clyde asked, completely out of breath. How unfit could you be? "There's loads of them, they're everywhere!"

"Boys, Niara, quick." Mum shouted, appearing from no where. "This way."

Only we were still trapped by the Sisters, all chanting to 'Serve the Gorgon'. Mum just held me tight as I went to fight them and we were dragged down to a cellar, locked inside. "I bet your lipstick thing would have had this licked no problem, Nia."

I shrugged, testing the strength of the door with a sharp kick. It bent, but even my Doc's weren't great for it. "Yeah, well, shame the nuns made mum check our bags in at the door."

Mum herself sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I hope Maria's have better luck with Mrs Nelson-Stanley."

"We don't need any Star Trek gadgets." Clyde grinned then, putting an arm around my little brother as I kicked the door again for good measure. "This place is full of secret passages and stuff. Luke read all about it. He's got it all filed away in that super brain of his."

"I don't remember any down here."

The started to look anyway as I paused, replaying what had happened with the Gorgon in my head, before reaching a logical conclusion. "Mum?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I think the Gorgon is dying."

Now she frowned at me, looking worriedly in my direction. "Why?"

"We saw her stumble earlier." Cly agreed, though I did not look in his direction. The sort of girl people write books about... "Like she was sick."

Luke spoke up now. "I heard Sister Helena saying they needed to find a new host. She said when the portal's open, humanity and the Gorgon will be one with a blessing."

Our mother's eyes widened, like this was connecting to something else she had locked away in her head. "That's what she meant. At the house, when she took the Talisman, Helena said the Gorgon's needed us to survive. I don't think the Abbess in the Gorgon."

Before we could say anything though, the door was unlocked, allowing Sister Helena to enter. "Little Niara, will you come with us?"

"No, she is not going anywhere with you." Mum cried, wrapping her arms quickly around me before I went to go with them of my own volition. "Why do you want my daughter?"

"We won't harm a hair on that beautiful head of your little girl, Miss Smith." She smiled sweetly as I tried to unnerve her with my change to blue eyes. No such luck. "Come along, Niara."

"I'll be fine, mum. I promise." I smiled, kissing her cheek quickly before doing the same for Luke, then Clyde. And slipped a bobby pin into his hand. "Girl's in stories always need a plan B. If I'm not back in 5 minutes, chances are I'm not coming back and you have no chance at beating me. Get them out of here and get back to the house."

He nodded a little and I followed Sister Helena through to the chapel, my long dark hair curled between my delicate wings. "You really are something of an oddity for a human, Little Butterfly."

Shrugging, I slashed her hand with my tail before she could touch my near useless appendages. "It might surprise you to say that I'm not, huh? 75% Stryx, I'm known mostly as a Fledgling." Now my eyes fixed on the talisman in the front of the weird giant chalice, like the Goblet of Fire, only evil. "What makes you think that the Gorgon's still want to invade? 3000 Years is a long time."

It was her turn to shrug. "Not for the Gorgon's."

"Without bodies to carry them?" I asked, my eyes changing back to blue. "The Gorgon's are Parasites, aren't they, Sister Helena?"

"Parasite. It's such an unattractive word."

For an unattractive concept, sure. "It's what they are, a life-form that lives on another, depends on another to feed and survive."

She just smiled at me "The Gorgon gives its host life beyond human years. The Abbess has carried the Gorgon for 200 years, although there have been many hosts over the the generations. And now, she grows weak. Her time is coming, and the Gorgon's have chosen a new host to lead it's domination of Earth." Why didn't I like where this was going? "You, Little Niara Smith."

I then decided that it was time for me to bow out and try to escape, but one of them grabbed my hair and the other my tail with chainmail gauntlets on as not to cut themselves. From there, I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to a column that they tied me to. "You're going to die painfully when my Godfather finds out what you're doing!" I snapped, wishing the Doctor was there then. "He's one of my best friends."

They weren't listening. "Not long now, Little Niara. As the Abbess weakens more, the Gorgon will release it's hold on her and you will become the leader of a new race ruling planet Earth."

"You can do what you want to me." I informed her, trying to use the sharpest point of my tail to break the chains, but they were really good quality. "But this planet will never bow down to that thing."

"The portal is opening. The Gorgon's are coming. The new Queen must be ready to meet them. Bring her forward." I tried fighting again, but there were too many of them. "Don't struggling, Fledgling. Embrace your destiny."

My destiny lay on the skies, not as a creature I despised. "The Gorgon is controlling you. It's controlling all of you! You've got to fight it. If not, they'll destroy all the human race."

"No." Helena insisted. "The Gorgon's shall save us. From War, from Greed. We will exist only to serve them. We will be at peace everlasting, and you shall be our Queen." I was more of a warrior, Team Free Will. "To receive the Gorgon, do not look into it's eyes, Niara. To do so will turn you to stone."

Far better an idea. Let the bloody thing die. "I'd rather be a lump of limestone, slowly, painfully eroding in the rain than bow down to the oppression of a parasite race!"

Only I was blindfolded by hands that moved too fast for me to bite them. "You don't have a choice, Niara. PRepare to serve the Gorgon."

And they started to annoyingly chant again, before my sensitive ears picked up the rustle of fabric and then mums voice coming towards me. "Niara!"

"Mother!" Even if you're close to being taken over by a parasitic entity, take the time to sass people. You just had to.

"Hold them." Helena snapped. "They can witness the transfer and be the new Queen's first prey."

This was not happening. "No! No!"

I started to pray for anything to happen, writing a best case scenario inside my head where Maria got the answer from Bea, to get here just in time and save the day from everything. And, just at the last moment, she got here and did something. When my blindfold was off and the chains released, I saw that there was a mirror in front of my face, reflecting the Gorgon back at herself.

Turning her to stone.

The Sisters, released from the control of the creature, released my friends and family, mum rushing over to wrap her arms around me tight enough to click my back. "They're coming through!" Clyde cried, pointing to the Goblet of Snakes, spinning faster with tendrils coming out. So Maria ran forward to grab it. "Come on, Maria!"

It came out with a click before the Vortex vanished. "What about your father?"

"Come on!" So we drove at top speeds back to the house, finding a stone statue of Alan Jackson in our living room. Well, it was a hell of an ornament. "What if it doesn't work?"

"If it saved Bea, it'll save your father."

Only if you got a wriggle on, at any point. "You've only got a couple of minutes."

Maria hung the talisman around Alan's neck before stepping back. A moment later, once the hunk of laien metal glowed, he was returned to flesh and blood before collapsing. "Dad!"

"He's alive." I told her, hearing a good and steady heartbeat. "He's just unconscious."

Mum came up with a fast plan. "Quickly. We have to get him out of here before he comes around."

Which lead to me being the one to carry him to the garden seat, where he woke up and then came back later with Maria and his ex-wife. "What, er, what exactly was it you were looking for, Mrs Jackson?" Mum asked her as I sat next to Clyde on the sofa with a new book. I supposed he wasn't completely full of cliché to say something like that...

"What have you done with it? It was right here, bold as you like, a statue of my Alan." Was that why you divorced him then?

"Mrs Jackson, I don't know what you're-"

Chrissie just interrupted her. "I know what I saw. Where is it?"

"Seriously, we have no idea what you're talking about." I snapped, looking over We Were Liars at her. "I've been here nearly all day, so there was never a stature. Please lower your voice so that I can concentrate."

Maria understood my tone, knowing that it normally came about just before I lashed out. "Come on, Mum. Maybe we should leave Nia to her reading and go home, hmm?"

They started to walk to the door before Alan smirked a little. "Pity, really. I think I'd look good as one of those Greek statues."

"I prefer you the way you are."

Once they were gone, mum sat down next to me on the sofa. "Now, you deserve a treat for dinner. What are you two hungry for? Pizza? Chips?"

"Chinese." I smiled at her, hungry for sweet and sour prawn balls and noodles. No one had time to eat rice properly. "I'll get the plates ready if you order it?"

"Course, baby." She smiled in return, not even going to touch my book as I got up and headed into the kitchen. "It won't be long."

Preheating the oven, I carefully put 4 plates in there to warm and poured myself a glass of water, sipping it as I heard mum call the local. And Clyde came into the kitchen. "Tell you what, your mum doesn't half think the world of you, Nia. It takes me saving someone from a burning building to get out of cooking and, actually, you seem to get it at least once a week."

I shrugged, turning the other way to look at my stats on the fridge door. All of the ones that we'd carefully fabricated to keep me merged into society, to give me a chance at a normal life. It took years to put together, yet could fall apart in just a second. "I save the world at least once a week, remember? Save individual lives 3 times a day. She thinks that paying me will make this a job, but it's not. So, I get rewarded with fast food. Mother wishes for me to go to school, be a journalist like her."

"And what about you? What do you want, Niara?" Clyde asked, moving closer to me as I dug my nails into the countertop, my book tight in my grip still. How? How did girls deal with emotions so freely? Did they know how lucky they were to be able to express themselves without fear of exposing what others would see as either and abnormality or as a way to persecute me? Because it was hard, so hard to keep up with my brain, how hard it was thinking and even harder to let my mouth catch up to form coherent and eloquent words while also keeping my wings and tail from show. "Ni? Are you alright?"

"Clyde, we can't ever happen." I told him softly. "You are human and you have a lifespan of 90 years, if you are lucky. Mine is far greater. So I have to do what I can to isolate myself and insulate myself against my emotions. To do the whole relationship thing is to risk everything I have set up, all the protection mum and the very few other people have worked my whole life to create for me. So if you're only sticking around for that reason, you need to think again. Because I can't let my guard down for a guy who could potentially expose me."

He stared at me for a long moment in silence before he turned me around and kissed me quickly and softly. For a moment, I kissed back, liking how he tasted and how it felt, but as my tail and wings responded, trying to break free, and I realised that this was wrong. So I pushed him back and started to run.

I heard mum's voice call after me as I grabbed my bag and made it out of the front door, both her and Clyde running after me. But even without my wings, I was fast and pretty soon I was almost in town. Pausing to catch my breath, I touched my lips softly, still tingling from where Clyde's had been. It was because of that that I didn't pay attention to my surroundings.

My attention was so lost that I failed to noticed the car coming up behind me or the men coming out afterwards. I only noticed when there was a bag over my head and I was cast into darkness before I even had a chance to scream for help.


	9. Worlds Only Hope

By the time I had the bag taken off my head, I knew that I couldn't be anywhere near Ealing anymore. I'd been driving for too long for that to be the case, but I had no idea what direction we'd driven in. Whoever invented roundabouts was clearly a kidnapper.

It was taken off by a familiar woman, who looked like she just wanted to put it back on me, but didn't. I'd been crying, feeling like I'd been stuck in a small confined space again, but I didn't let anything show. "Mrs Jones? I don't understand. Where's Tish and Martha?"

"I was about to ask you the same. You were already in here as we were forced in." She replied, in handcuffs herself. "Niara, this is my ex husband, Clive. Clive, this is that Fledgling the Prime Minister told us about."

"Prime Minister? He doesn't have access to my files, trust me, I'm barely allowed access and they're about me." I informed her, trying to get free of the weird straight jacket, but I had also been chained to the wall. Brilliant. "Why are you both here?"

There was a beat of silence from the both before Clive spoke. "We helped Martha and this Doctor bloke escape. I suppose Francine and I are here as leverage over Martha. You're his daughter or something, you must be here to get the Doctor to comply as well."

"I don't like how any of this is working out. The fact that he knows what I am and who I am to the Doctor means that he is planning something not even my mum can get us out of." I sighed, before trying to blow my hair off my face. "I can't reach my bag, either, which sucks as the sonic lipstick is in there, my new prototype one. Fill me in on everything, incriminating or not, I just need to know."

By the time they finished, we'd stopped moving, so two policemen bundled us out, one of which holding the end of my chain like I was a rabid dog. And the Prime Minister ran over, laughing. "Hi guys! Oh, wow, look at you, Niara Andrea Smith, daughter to the King of Stryxa Two." What the hell was he chatting on?

Clive pulled at his own guard as my eyes fixed on three figures at the other end of the air field. Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood, Dr Martha Jones, and the Doctor. "You can't just do this."

The man was still grinning as the Doctor put a finger to his lips, allowing me to tune my ears in to what he was saying. "Nia, I'm sorry. I am so sorry, this is all my fault. I'm going to get you out of there, I promise you, I am. Just be brave and do what he says for now."

I gave him a short nod as Clive and Francine were dragged back over to a Range Rover this time, and my chain was passed to a new guard, already holding my velvet messenger bag, because I was being dragged into a limo. And had a muzzle put on me. Guess they knew I didn't play well with other dogs. "There has got to be a compliment in here somewhere."

"Ah, she speaks!" Harold Saxon beamed at me, kept at the other end of the limo. "I was beginning to wonder if the stories of Niara Smith were true."

"Depends. Are the stories of the Master, the Doctor's arch nemesis true?" I asked, just looking at him with my hazel eyes, not needing the blue to catch his attention. "I heard your dual hearts the moment I got out of the car, but I also know that there has never been another Time Lord who hates this planet as much as you. That, and the other Time Lords are all dead. Who else would be enough of a pussy to run and hide like a little ba-"

I didn't get to finish as his face grew furious by my words, slapping me hard across the face. But I just looked at him, having trained my whole life to never show emotion, and pain was simply that. "You don't understand, Fledgling. Not even in your precious books have you ever read or thought of something as terrifying as the Time War. So hold your tongue before I remove those acrid, flowing words by taking it from you and feeding it to your baby brother."

On that threat, I held my tongue, even on the plane we boarded shortly after and then the giant Valiant Sky Ship. Not even him or his 'wife' spoke to me until we were in a lift and he took my restraints off slowly. "IF you misbehave, think of everything I am going to do that to that mother and brother of yours. Oh, and especially that little boyfriend. You will be seen and not heard, is that understood?"

I nodded dumbly, fear filling the pit of my stomach as the muzzle was removed just before the lift doors opened. I'd seen plans for the Valiant before, I'd hacked it before Harold Saxon became a household name, but it was so incredible in person. The actual ships bridge was on a raised area at the far end, cameras stationed at the side of a glass conference table. "I want the whole thing branded in my suit of office, not the UN. You got that?" Ah, the delightful Americans. I thought I smelt grease and sugar.

"Anything I can do? I can sent my daughter Natasha here to make the tea? Or isn't that American enough?" I went to make a complaint about being called Natasha, but I felt a sharp knife press into my side so I closed my mouth again. "I don't know, she can make grits? What are grits, anyway?"

President Winters glared at him. "If you could just sit."

So I was pulled away again, with his poor hypnotised wife, as he lowered his voice. "Misery guts. What do you think? It's good, isn't it?"

"You built this place for a purpose." I muttered under my breath. "Ministry of Defence. You helped design every detail."

At the two minute warning, all armed personnel were told to leave the flight deck, the Master offering me a jelly baby for some reason. "Do I look like I want that?"

"Broadcasting at 7:58 with the arrival time for 800 hours exactly. And er, good luck to all of us." Good luck to you, mate, that thing was going to kill you. Then he was live in front of the world, including mum, probably scared out of her mind in fear of where I was. "My fellow Americans, Patriots, people of the world. I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew." Dude you were the President to a country that started wars over the liquid fossilised dinosaurs made.

But then the Doctor, Martha and Jack quietly entered, allowing me to glance in his direction to let him know that I'd seen him before looking back to Winters. "For as long as man," and woman, "has looked to the stars, he," and she, "Has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone." Mate, Sycorax, Cybermen, Daleks, the giant web star. We've known for a while. Well, we were certainly more aggressive than others, if a little less equipped than we thought. "And I ask of you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane."

4 spheres appeared in the room, making me tense but then I forced myself to relax as I felt the Master's knife between two important ribs. One wrong move and my lung would pop like a balloon. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the Planet Earth and it's associated moon."

Dude, you thought we owned the moon? Bitch, that thing was so going to smash us one in the next 50 odd years. "You're not the Master."

"We like the Mr Master."

"We don't like you." Oh, God, they were just like children...

"I can be master is you so wish." The soon to be late President Winters tried carefully, not wanting to offend them. "I will accept mastery over you, if that is Gods will."

The second male one swooped around him. "Man is stupid."

"Master is our friend."

Now the girl one spun around. "Where's my Master, pretty please?"

Saxon himself now dragged me up with him, right up into the camera screen. I tried to sign something to mum, in case she was watching, but he shoved me hard. "Oh, all right, then. It's me. Ta dah! Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know, it's crazy!"

"I'd go with the hypnosis through the Archangel network you tit!" I snarled, but he grabbed me by the hair and yanked. "Ah, let go of me! Mum! Mum, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

The President tried to reach for me, but I was pulled away. "Saxon, what are you talking about? Unhand Natasha!"

"Her name is Niara Andrea Smith, a Fledgling, Uncle Sam." He smiled, running that blade carefully down the inside of my throat. A small line of blood started to pool, but he didn't do anything else. Don't lose it, Nia... Count the books, remember the books... "And I'm taking control, starting with you. Kill him."

One of the sphere's pointed his weapon at Winters before shooting him into nothingness, but he was ready for the panic for after. "Guards!" THey trained guns on everyone before he got right to business. "Now then, people of the Earth, please attend carefully."

The Doctor now removed a key from around his neck and tried to run forward, but two men stopped him as I felt my neck heal into a thin cut. No, no, I was still on camera... "We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I love saying that."

"Stop it! Stop it now! Let Niara go! She's my responsibility, you have no hope of controlling it without her trust!"

"As if a perception filter's going to work on me. And look, it's the girlie and the freak." He smiled, ignoring whatever the hell the Doctor had been talking about with my trust. I barely trusted anyone, I didn't have that luxury. "Although I'm not sure which ones which." Jack ran forward but he pulled something out of his pocket and zapped him. "Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again."

My Godfather's eyes were pleading as I fixed my eyes on a suit of armour holding a sword. Not just a sword, a Japanese Katana like the one Uncle Alistair had taught me with. The weapon of choice for the Warriors of Japan. "Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing, you almost killed a child. A little 14 year old girl. Just stop. If you could see yourself-"

But the Master wasn't really listening as I carefully slipped my talk out of my skin, allowing it to start reaching for the blade. "Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute. Let him go."

He was thrown to his knees as I moved with him, the sword getting knocked to the carpeted floor. Just out of reach. "It's that sound. That sound in your head. What if I could help?"

"Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his Genetic Manipulation device?" Oh, God... "What did you think Tish and the lovely Niara here got those jobs merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. That photo of the Fledgling Princess, Princess Niara, on your screen, it gave me everything I needed to find your biggest weakness on Earth.

"And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver? But, ooo, if only I had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do." He let go of me and kicked me to the ground as he opened a large metal briefcase and I took that moment to kick the sword in front of me. Then stared in awe at the severed appendage inside the bubbling jar. "I've got his hand. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another 100 years?"

He aimed the screwdriver at him and suddenly he was screaming and convulsing in pain, the Master allowing him to go to him as he stopped. Looking at least 100 years old. "Doctor? Please, please, it's me, it's the Little Wanderer."

Martha wrapped her arms around us both as I kept my hand lightly around the sword hilt. "I've got you. Oh, Nia, your neck..."

"Ah, she's a would be Doctor." The Master patronised. "But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in all the way from prison."

Her parents and sister were brought in then, hands bound with cable ties as I felt myself full of the worst fury I had ever encountered. "The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they?"

"Doctor, if I told you, your hearts would break." He smiled darkly, his little creatures asking about some machine. "2 minutes past. So, Earthlings. Basically, er, end of the world. Here Come The DRUMS!"

Voodoo's Child started to blare then, the Master and his wife moving to the windows to watch billions of their 'children' start to destroy the world. "Nia, you've read so many stories, it's start to start telling your own. All those stories, all the ones your mum told you to make you sleep. Spread them around the world for a year. Take Martha and stay together. Use your imagination, my Little Wanderer. Tell them to have hope for a year."

Looking from him to Martha, holding Jack's weird bracelet, I nodded and kissed his cheek before he slipped his key into my hand. Then Martha took my hand and we escaped down onto Hampstead Heath, able to hear the world around us screaming.

"We're coming back."


	10. Little Wanderer

Oh, we were home. I was 15 years old, almost 16 and I'd battled my way through a war torn Earth for a year with Martha Jones. She was someone who I had quickly learned to call my best friend, and we fought side by side. I had battled and killed to ensure we survived, and beyond all odds, we had. We had survived a year of hell to return back to England and save our people.

We moved quickly off the boat and onto the stone of Dover, my wings and tail freely on show as two men rushed to meet us. "What are your names then?"

"Tom Milligan."

"Clyde Langer, Ni." The other one told us, my heart thudding at the sight of him as he took off his hat and hood to show me. "No need to ask who either of you two are. The famous Martha Jones and my best friend, Niara."

I hugged him in instinct, a tiny remnant of my old life, one from before the end of my tail was shot off, or my face burnt with acid under my left eye. These things had healed, not leaving a mark, or even a stump where the point of my tail should have been after it grew back, but every time I closed my eyes I felt it, heard it. The snap of bones, the sizzle of corrosive, toxic liquid on delicate skin. My screams of agony. "Tell me they're safe."

"They're hidden with freedom fighters, in Liverpool last I heard. About two months back, intel is slow to avoid detection." He told me, carefully avoiding my wings, permanently razor sharp around the edges now. "How long since you were last in Britain?"

Martha answered that as I let go, my Katana sheathed at my hip next to my bag. My bag, bullied and beaten and held together with scraps of material from all over the world. "365 days. It's been a long year. Especially for your girlfriend."

"We're just, I mean, I..." We said together, then laughed, the strange, awkward encounter reminding me that I was 15. My biggest worry should have just been boys and drama at school. "Never mind."

Tom cleared his throat, letting us know it was time to get moving again. "So, what's the plan?"

My tone turned business like, reminding me of mum on the phone to my teacher when I handed in a short story based on the Doctor in Year 5. They wanted to enter it for a competition, but it would betray the mans trust and anonymity. Who'd have thought, 8 years later, I'd be telling his stories to the world?

"This Professor Docherty. We need to see her. Can you get us here?"

Clyde nodded, his kind eyes weary, but still so full of life and humour. Oh, I missed those eyes... "She works in a repair shed. Nuclear plant 7. We can get you inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her? Shes a pale imitation of you or Luke." My little brother...

Martha shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk."

The older man, the one neither of us really knew, raised his eyebrows. "There's a lot of people depending on you both. You're legends. The Fledgling Princess and her companion."

My 'companion' smirked at him. "What do the Legends say?"

"That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That Niara flew across the Soledad Valley to lead the Toclafane away from a pack of refugees at the cost of her tail." Well, it only took 15 years, but the skies I could now soar through were not the ones I'd dreamt of. "That you were the only people to get out of Japan alive, which was where you got the second Katana. Martha and Niara, they say, those girls are going to save the world."

Neither of us said anything as we approached a flat bed truck. "How come you can drive? Don't you get stopped? I mean, Clyde, you're barely 15!"

Tom shrugged. "Medical staff. Used to be in pediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me, and my apprentice, a licence to travel so we can help out other labour camps."

"Great, we're travelling with a doctor and his assistant."

Clyde got into the back of the truck with me, Martha sitting beside her new friend. "Story goes, Ni, that you're the only one of Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead."

With a small smile, I took out my blade, that I'd engraved with my name in Kanji while in Japan, before running my finger along it. "Let's just drive."

We did so in silence, though I did rest into him, his arms around my shoulders as I enjoyed the speed of the drive. But soon we were in a quarry, a large statue of the man himself stood over us. "All over Earth, these things." Martha nodded. "He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore."

"Best to keep down." Tome told us as I took out my blade once more, ready to take out any guards. "Here we go. The entire south coast of England, converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labour every morning. Break up cars, houses, anything just for the metal. Building a fleet out of scrap."

"You should see Russia." My friend told him softly. "That's Shipyard Number One. All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Straight, there's 100 000 rockets ready for war."

"War? With who?"

Who did you think? "The rest of the universe. Martha's been out there, Clyde, and I grew up with the stories, my heritage is out there. There are civilisations all around us with no idea of what's happening here. The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all."

He looked at Martha in shock. "You've been in space?"

"Problem with that?"

Tom shook his head. "No, no. Just, er. Wow. Anything else I should know?"

At which point two spheres flew in from behind the statue, causing me to quickly take up position in front of Clyde, covering him with my perception filter as well. "Identify, little man."

"I've got a licence. Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking for-"

"Soon the rockets will fly, and everyone will need medicine. You'll be so busy."

And then it just flew off, laughing before Clyde turned me to look at him "But they didn't see either of you. Or me, because I was so close."

"How you do you think we travelled the world?" I asked, tucking my key back under my breast plate. "Because the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, 15 satellites around the planet, but it's transmitting this low level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotised into thinking he was Harold Saxon."

"Saxon." Tom repeated with a sign as we got back into the truck. "Feels like years ago."

Hey, I was here because the Doctor left my bloody photo and file on the TARDIS screen. If I hadn't have run when Clyde kissed me, I might not have ended up lost in this war. The Master was waiting for me to isolate myself. "But the key's tuned in to the same frequency. Makes us sort of not invisible, just unnoticeable. Because you were within my field, so you you got covered as well, Cly."

"Well, I can see you."

Martha took this one. "Because you wanted to. Clyde just wants to see Niara." Yeah, well, I wanted to see him. "Is there a Mrs Milligan?"

He shook his head quickly. "No. No. What about you? I mean, Clyde never shuts up about the Fledgling Princess Niara."

She made a small face as I reached through the back to take her hand. "There used to be someone. A long time ago. Come on, we've got to find this Docherty woman."

"We'll have to wait until the next work shift." Clyde told us, his hands on my waist, calloused and warm. "What time is it now?"

I checked an invisible watch, knowing the time internally. "It's nearly three."

A few hours later we were sneaking through a fence my trail chopped up, finding a woman thumping a cathode ray tube in frustration. "Professor Docherty?"

"Busy." Me. That was so me. Well, pre-Saxon.

"They, er, they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan, this is my apprentice Clyde Langer. This is Martha Jones, and Princess Niara Smith." I was not liking this Princess thing. I was far more Luna Lovegood. Only Slytherin. I was not a Ravenclaw, I was far too bitchy.

Docherty really didn't care. "She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care, I'm still busy."

I rolled my eyes at her, getting out the somehow surviving sonic lipstick, battered and bruised from my year in hell. "TV's don't work. What are you trying to do right now?"

"We've been told there's going to be a transmission." She told me as I zapped the screen. "Cool gadget. Bit girly."

So I took out the Katana and waved it at her. "I'm not girly."

Then we turned our full attention to the screen, seeing the bitchy bloke in full sarcasm route. "My people. Salutations on this, the eve of War. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sort of whispers down there. Stories of a child, a Princess and her hand maiden, walking the Earth, giving you hope. But I ask you, how much hope has this man got?" And pulled my poor Godfather into the shot. "Say hello, Gandalf." Oh, shut up. He looked far more like a shaven Dumbledore. "Except that he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes. But what if it showed? What if I suspended your capacity to regenerate? All 900 years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?"

And he started to use the screwdriver on him again, making me tense and wish to close me eyes as he began convulsing in pain once more. But I couldn't look away, not with what I had to do. 15 years old and I was the only one who could save the world. "Older and older and older. Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down the years."

Finally the convulsions came to an end, the Doctor, the man I had looked up to for as long as I could remember, no longer sitting in his chair. "Doctor." Instead, he was shrunken and pitiful inside his clothes, a Dobby sized creature, his eyes so sad as I felt like they met mine through the screen. "Received and understood, Princess?"

The transmission came to an end before I finally turned and buried my face in Clyde's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Is that, is that your dad, Niara?"

"No, but there are times when he's been as good as." I muttered, before pulling back to look at Dr Milligan. "The Doctor's still alive."

"Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be the Master's greatest weakness." Professor D informed us. "15 satellites all around the Earth still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It'd broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared."

"We could just take them out."

Now she raised her eyebrows at Cly. "We could. 15 ground to air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend."

Martha shook her head. "They're not called Toclafane. That's a name the Master made up. That's why we came to find you. Know your enemy. We've got this." And took out the computer disk that had been thrown at us as we'd sped away on a boat. "No one's been able to look at a Sphere close up. They can't even be damaged, except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down, just by chance. We've got the reading on this."

"So is that why you travelled the world?" Tome asked as Prof D put it on her computer, cursing the death of Bill Gates. Yet Steve was still alive, that was annoying, given that anyone could see he was a heart attack waiting to happen. "To find a disk?"

The would be Doctor shook her head. "No. Just got lucky."

"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon." The other woman told us, before the computer started to work. "There! A current of 58.5 kiloamps transferred charge of 510 megajoules precisely."

"Can you recreate that?"

She nodded. "I think so. Easily, yes."

Good to me, I could finally get my hands on one. "Right then, Dr Milligan, Clyde Langer, we're going to get us a Sphere."

Tom and him headed outside to lure in one once it finally got set up, firing shots in the air before a Sphere followed them right into the electric net. I wasn't good at engineering for nothing. "That's only half the job. Let's find out what's inside."

Docherty refused to touch the thing, so I set it up into a magna-clamp, using both brute force and tools to eventually trip 4 quarters of the semi-sphere to open. Revealing a tiny, wizened head. It's eyes opened with a start, making us all jump back. "Martha. Martha Jones."

"It knows you."

"Sweet, kind Martha Jones." It told her. "You helped us to fly." Martha was getting terrified now, holding my hand right. "You lead to salvation. The skies are made of diamonds."

She shook her head, backing away. "No, you can't be him."

The Professor looked at her hard. "What are they?"

Please, please, don't be what I thought it was going to be... "Martha. Please, what are they?"

Her eyes looked back at me for the briefest of moments. "They're us. They're humans. The human race, from the future. I'd sort of worked it out with the Paradox Machine, because the Doctor said, on the day before the Master came to power, he said, when he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing he could do was fuse the co-ordinates. He locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year 100 trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which was here and now. The Master had the TARDIS, this time machine, so the only other place he could go was the end of the universe, so he found Utopia.

"The Utopia Project was the last hope. Trying to find a way to escape the end of everything."

The Sphere spoke as well, everyone unable to look away from the monstrosity. "There was no solution. No diamonds. Just the dark and the cold. But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

"But that's a paradox." Docherty insisted. "If you're the future of the human race and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourself out. You shouldn't exist."

"And that's the paradox machine." I nodded, knowing how it would work from a basic knowledge of time travel. "It cancels out any misdemeanors between the timelines. Which means these things can kill for fun. I watched them kill across the continents and I will not stand for it."

Then I swung down with my sword, splitting it easily through the skill. A merciful death for something so without mercy.

"I think it's time we had the truth, Princess Niara." Please, don't call me Princess... As far as I was aware, I could do nothing more than fail a people instead of protect them. "The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

Might as well tell them. "I've known about the Master and the Doctor's species since I was born. They've been coming to Earth for years. And they've been watched. There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords and my own kind, the Stryx, in secret. And they made this ultimate defence."

On my nod, Martha opened the case to reveal the gun with 4 cylinders along the top, and the 3 vials of liquid. "It's not easy to kill a Time Lord, or a Stryx. They regenerate and I heal indefinitely. Literally bring ourselves back from the point of death."

"Ah, the Master's immortal, useful."

Nothing was immortal. "Except for this. 4 Chemicals slotted into the gun. Inject him, or me, it kills us instantly."

It wasn't a lie, not really. It would kill me, and that might even kill the Doctor. Like he said, I was the only one with a lifespan to rival theirs, he saw me like his best friend. "4 chemicals? You've only got 3 Ni."

Glad you could still count, Cly. "Still need the last one, because the components of this gun were kept safe, scattered around the world, and we found them. San Diego, unfortunately Comiccon was cancelled, Beijing, Budapest, and London. I have an access key, Level two. Tom, Clyde, you've got to get us there."

"We can't get across London in the dark. It's full of wild dogs. We'd get eaten alive." It was officially Fallout. "We can wait till the morning, then go with the medical convoy."

"You can spent the night here, if you like."

Tom shook his head before Martha or I could agreed. We needed to get caught, but maybe one last night of stories was what we needed as well. "No, we can get halfway, stay at the slave quarters in Bexley. Professor, thank you."

"And you. Good luck." She caught my arm before I followed them out. "Princess, could you do it? Could you actually kill him?"

My whole life, I'd been capable of things beyond imagination. I knew murder was something I could do. I'd spent a year in hell. "I've got no choice."

The woman gave me a weak smile. "You might be many things, young Princess, but you don't look like a killer to me."I was a lot of things people didn't expect me to be.

Our next drive was even longer and colder, Clyde holding me tight as my wings recessed back into me to avoid damage from the wind. The Slave Quarters though, they were roasting hot with the amount of people crammed inside. "Have you brought any food?"

"Couldn't get any, and we're starving."

"All we've got is water."

You poor people... "I'm sorry."

Voices started to babble around us, my sensitive ears turning it into white noise before Clyde tried to calm them all down. "Come on, leave them alone. They're exhausted."

Sleep wasn't an option any longer. Besides, it was my job to tell stories, stories I had grown up knowing. People were finally learning about the man who'd been saving them since the beginning of the planet. "No, it's alright. They want me to talk, and I will."

They all came around us as I sat down on the stairs with Martha, my twin blades on my lap. I'd never spoken before, I'd just buried myself in fiction I was transfixed by. Now I spoke nearly every night, helping other people to be entranced by my own tales.

"We travelled across the world, from the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere we went, we saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones and Niara Smith have become legends, then that's wrong, because our names aren't important. There's someone else. The man who sent us out there. The man who told us to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He saved your lives so many times and you never even knew he was there. He never stops, he never stays, he never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. I love him just as much as I love my mother. And I know what he can do."

But then the Master was on the ground, everyone rushing around to hide Martha and I, then an old sack was thrown over us. But we could still see him. "Niara. Princess Niara. I can see you! Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your Master. Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions. I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself. What would your Godfather do?" On her nod, I took off my key in time with Martha.

"Oh, yes. Oh, very well done. Good girl. Your mother trained you well." He saw what each of us were doing. "Bag and sword. Give me the bag and the sword. No, stay there, just there, just throw them." We did as we were told, my blade clinking as it hit the gravel path. Before a guard picked them up and he destroyed the gun. "And now, Good Companions, your work is done."

Only before the Master could kill either of us, both Clyde and Tom ran out to try and stop him. So he just killed them both. "No!" I screamed, feeling my heart break as I watched the 15 year old body of Clyde Langer hit the ground, before trying to run to him. The Master just laughed, grabbing me by the hair. "Let go of me! Clyde!"

"But you, when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm? Your Godfather to watch you scream. Almost dawn, Princess, and planet Earth matches to war."

The both of us were dragged back up to Valiant, my wings proudly and defiantly out as we were stood before him, surrounded by my family and friends. Oh, the poor, poor Doctor... "Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten." Martha threw it to him as I kept my wings out and head bowed. "And now kneel. Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?" A man from below him told him it was ready on command. "3 minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down. I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?"

"We will fly and blaze and slice." Delightful.

"At 0, to mark this day, the child Princess Niara Smith, will die. My first blood." Now I looked at him, my eyes turning to pure blue. "Any last words? No? Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This little girl is useless. Bow your head once more." I did as I was told. "And so it falls to me, Master of All, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords. From this day forward." Holy shit, could he hear himself talk? It was hilarious! "What, what's so funny?"

The fact that you were an idiot? "A gun."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "What about it?"

"A gun in 4 parts, scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that? I know I'm a storyteller, but seriously?"

He looked at the Doctor now. "What do you mean?"

"As if I would ask my little Nia to kill." He told him as I kept smiling.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got them exactly where I want them."

This man was brain dead stupid. Never out a Lord against a Warrior Princess. "But I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son, and like my own mother, I knew she would do anything to get him back. We told her about the gun, so she'd get us here at the right time."

The Master didn't want to know. "Oh, but you're still going to die."

Probably, but I would take you out first, see you on my descent to hell. I was fine with dying, I'd see Clyde again. "Don't you want to know what we were doing? Travelling the world?" His eyes fixed on me. "We told a story, that's all. The girl who does nothing but read told other peoples, told them herself. We did just what the Doctor said. We went across the continents together and everywhere we went, we found the people, and told them our stories. We told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

"Faith and Hope? Is that all?"

Never neglect hope. It was all so many people had. "No, because we gave them an instruction, just as my Godfather said." I smiled, getting to my feet, only small but my presence now filled a room. Wasn't that what royalty was supposed to do? "We told them that if everyone thinks of one word at one specific time-"

Now he was getting desperate. "Nothing will happen. Is that your weapon? Prayer?"

Prayer was just a projection of hope. "Right across the world, one word, just one thought at one moment but with 15 satellites."

"The Archangel Network." Jack realised.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is Doctor."

Then the clock hit zero, the world starting to think of the Doctor. So his cage started to glow. "I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate myself with the matrices." The Master was trying to run as he came back to his full strength. "The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking. Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this."

"No!" He fired the laser screwdriver, but it did nothing. "Then I'll kill her!" Now he went to shoot at me, a stream of golden light going through my armour and into my lung before he knocked it away. But I didn't say anything, shutting off my pain receptors. "You can't do this. You can't do it, it's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now." He continued, going towards him as I kept my hand over the impact site. "You wouldn't listen, because you know what I'm going to say." The Master just curled himself u into a corner as the Doctor wrapped his arm around him. "I forgive you."

"My children."

With a quick turn, I threw a machine gun to the leader of Torchwood, glad for the colour black. Black hid blood. "Captain. The Paradox Machine!"

Only before I could turn back, both the Doctor and Master had used the Vortex Manipulator to get off the bridge and onto Earth. But they came back just as Jack destroyed the machine, the Spheres disappearing and the ship shaking me into my Godfathers arms and my blade to my feet. "Everyone get down! Time is reversing!"

When it finally stopped, I was released, hiding my red stained hand as I wished for my body to hurry up and heal. "The Paradox is broken. We've reverted back, one year and one day. 2 minutes past eight in the morning. Just after the President was kill, but before the Sphere's arrived. Everything back to normal, planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror, it never was."

"What about the Spheres?"

He shrugged. "Trapped at the end of the universe. We're at the eye of the storm, the only people who'll ever remember it." Then beamed at Clive. "Oh, hello. You must be Mr Jones. We haven't actually met."

The Master tried to run for it but I moved instinctively to throw a pen at him, impaling it through his collar to hold him to the wall. "You're not going anywhere." I told him, my voice hoarse and painful from the emotion I was fighting. "Time I did what everyone expected and execute you."

"No, Niara, that's not the solution, love."

I didn't listen, taking out my blade. "I saw it all, Doctor. All those things, they still happened because of him. I watched the fall of Japan, the experiments in Russia and I watched him kill my best friend, Clyde Langer. And I never got to tell him that I was sorry, sorry for running away when he kissed me, sorry for everything I said..."

"My Nia, you can still do all that now." He told me softly, putting his hand loosely around the hilt of my sword, trying to coax it out of my grasp. "Niara, you are far, far better than him, love." My body started to tremble and I let him take it, my chest aching with the tears I refused to let fall. He passed it to Jack and hugged me tight, not making me move my hand away from my chest. "Brave Little Wanderer, I'm sorry for all the things you saw, all the things you did. Just 15, you were too young."

"I'm not young, I never have been, I don't think." I whispered, not wanting him to let go, because then I'd be able to see the area around me again. I didn't want to remember the last year. "Doctor, I did things that you shouldn't be able to forgive me for..."

He stroked my hair then, like my mum always did. I wanted my mum, so, so bad... "I know. I know, but I do, because it's not your fault, it's mine. I should have seen who you were from the colour of your wings, from the fact you're a girl. I should have known that he'd mess with you. I never should have let you get involved, I'm sorry, my Little Wanderer."

Only then he had to pull away quickly as a shot was fired, the Master staggering back from the damage dealt to him by Lucy. "Always the women."

"I didn't see her. I thought Nia was the biggest threat to you."

"Dying in your arms." He whispered gleefully, my own body going into shock. "Happy now?" I was. I may not see Clyde there, but at least I'd be in hell with him. It was almost worth never getting to see mum again.

The Doctor shook his head quickly as breath got hard to take or hold, my asthma choosing a hell of a time to make a reappearance after a 7 year absence. "You're not dying. Don't be stupid. It's only a bullet, just regenerate. One little bullet, come on."

He was just smiling, glad to be able to end things in a way that would still hurt the Doctor. "I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."

It was my Godfather's turn to get desperate. "Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please, Please! Just regenerate, come on."

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?"

"You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done." He insisted, his desperation to not be alone making me want to cry. How long until I was that lonely? "Axons. Remember the Axons. And the Dalek's? We're the only two left. There's no one else. Regenerate!"

On the Master's face was a smile that looked like it caused him pain. It was certainly hurting the Doctor. "How about that? I win." Only now he looked terrified. "Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will, it stop?"

And his eyes went still and glassy as my legs gave out. I still felt no pain, I felt very nearly nothing, but my body had lost a lot of blood, was still losing blood and it could no longer support itself. "Niara! No!" The Doctor shouted, near dropping the body of his best friend that he was still holding to run over to me. His hand pull mine away from the mess of burnt, sticky skin on show through the armour, before replacing it with his own. "No, no, no, no. I am not losing you. Not you, Niara, please. I can't lose you, I can't face your mum and tell her."

"I'll be fine. So will she. Tell her I love her, that I will always love her." I whispered, unable to make more noise than that, my tail and wings limply hanging beside me. "Please. Make sure that she doesn't blame herself. And don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. I deserve this."

"You deserve so much better than this, Little Wanderer." He and then he picked me up and started to carry me. The last thing I remember before I whited out was seeing my blade in Jack's hands, and wondered if I'd ever get that back.


	11. Communication Error

The Doctor and Martha worked hard to save my life after the Master nearly ended it. 15 years old and I'd almost died more times than I could count. In the end, even with all the gadgets, they only just managed it.

Every time they made an incision in my side to fix any internal damage, it just healed over to the point I could feel it closing up the worst of it. And it hurt. By the time I'd been cut open enough times to be fixed, my heart had been restarted twice and I remembered hearing Martha trying to say that it had been too long since I had oxygen to my brain.

I might have been sedated, but I still heard every word they said.

He refused to give up on me though and his stubbornness paid off because fairly soon I was stable and scans showed no damage to my brain. My lungs and throat? They were a different story

The heat from the laser had scorched the inside of my lungs and burnt at the base of my throat on the inside, leaving me with not much there and potential breathing problems until it all healed. Which it might not.

Martha went home after that, not saying goodbye to me at all as I lay in a hospital bed, unconscious. I heard what she said to the Doctor, how she'd see us both again, but I had no idea if I was even going to wake up. At least not until I felt him come and sit down at my bedside, stroking my hair and kissing my forehead.

"Little Wanderer." He whispered, taking my hand gently. "I don't know how to tell you how sorry I am. I should never have made you do the things that you did, not at all. First off, you were 14 and just a kid, second, you are so, so wonderful and incredible that it was obviously going to ruin you. You looked ready to kill him, like it was something you had done before. It's something I hope you didn't have to do, because I know how it stays with you. How killing never leaves."

There was a long pause then, silence that spanned a long time, like he might have fallen asleep. "I found him. Not long before this all kicked off, I found him. Elijah Reid. Wasn't long until I landed near his palace that I realised. King Elijah Reid, the King Looking For An Heir. None of them were ever born the right way, until you. You're the Crown Princess to a thrown, Niara, or at least you're the closest he's ever going to get.

"Princess Niara, with the wings of royalty, the tail of a warrior and the mind of a scholar. He'd have wanted you to have the drive to hunt and kill like him, but your mother... Her heart and kindness stopped that being possible. Your dad, Nia, he's not the person you deserve. The only person you will ever need is your mother, she's done such an amazing job with you and she's just going to always say the right thing and keep you going."

Another long pause where I willed myself to wake up, to squeeze his hand, anything to comfort him. But it looked like I was stuck as a vegetable for a while longer. "When I first met you, sassy, incredible, and just 13 years old, you told me that I was your Godfather and the inspiration for your name. Niara, meaning Wanderer. My reaction wasn't flattery, love, it was shock at your mums guess. My name, before I became the Doctor, was Jal. Jal, meaning Wanderer. I don't know if you can even hear this, but if you can, you can't ever tell anyone, alright? It's not my name, my name is Doctor. Oh, Niara, I really hope my fears aren't right at the moment..."

This time the silence didn't break and eventually he went off, patting my hand before he did. I don't know how long it was before I was finally able to move and open my eyes. My body was weak and my chest felt tight but I forced myself to get up and move through the TARDIS corridors to try and find the Doctor.

He was in the console room, fixing something on one of the panels when he heard me come in, the IV stand I'd been using to support myself rattling on the metal grating that made up the floor. "Nia! You're awake!" I nodded, feeling short of breath from the walk here, at the time not knowing about the lung damage. "You should still be resting, you've been in a coma for nearly two weeks."

Silently, I let him help me up onto the jump seat, wearing a pair of Totorro pjs, completely with the fluffy hood. It was safe to say that I kept them. "Nia, you've been out a very long time, giving your body a good amount of time to heal after the operation." I opened my mouth to speak but he didn't give me a chance to. "The laser was strong, but it was slowed by your armour or it would have killed you instantly. But the damage was still extensive. There were... There were things I may not have been able to fix. Do you understand, Nia?"

Nodding, I gave him a weak smile before going to reassure him, to tell the doctor that I was fine, that I was as good as new. My mind formed the words, my muscle memory moved my throat in the right way, but no sound came out. No voice, no words, no anything.

I tried again to get the same results, doing it over and over again until I got hysterical and he wrapped his arms around me to try and calm me down. "I know, I know. The damage to your lung spread to your vocal chords. We did what we could, but it obviously wasn't enough." He told me, stroking my hair as I silently cried into the soldier of his blue pinstriped suit. "It could still heal one day. It could still come back."

It took a while, but eventually I calmed down enough to think straight and pulled back to try and piece together what little sign language I knew. What happens now? Martha went home, you're all alone.

"I'll be fine. But once you're strong enough, I really need to get you back to your mum, love. She's probably going insane right now." I looked down, picking at my nails as I realised it was practically all my fault. I ran away, she would have been terrified when I didn't come home, let alone when she saw the Master holding me on live television. "Hey, it's not your fault. The Master abducted you, love, you running from when Clyde kissed you, that had nothing to do with it."

There are things that I said to Clyde, words that I regret, but I can't even tell them him that I'm sorry because I can't talk. I can't comfort mum during a sad film where an animal dies, or shut Luke up before he embarrasses himself at school. I'll be even more of a freak at school, because I won't even be able to defend myself this time.

The Doctor just gave me a smile and passed me my bag from the Year the Never Was, and my Katana. "Something tells me, Princess Niara, that you'll be able to defend yourself with more than just words. Let someone else help you for once. Come on, one more night of rest on the TARDIS, and you should wake up strong enough to face your mother."

So the next morning, during school hours, the Doctor landed us just outside the house after a police car drove away and the front door had clicked shut. "Come on, love." He smiled, taking my hand as we walked up to the house ourselves, the man looking more terrified of facing the mother of an abducted teen than he had facing the Master. "5 Quid says she at least tries to hit me."

Done.

A tearful, tired woman came to the door, and it took me a long moment to realise that this person, wearing a pair of house pants and one of her old jogging hoodies was my mother. Until her hazel eyes lit up at the sight of me and I was wrapped in the biggest hug I had ever had in my life. All I could do was hug her back, so, so happy to be back in her arms, a soldier coming home from war for the first time in too long. It was all I could do not to just start crying all over again.

"Baby..." She muttered into my hair as the Doctor smiled at the both of us. Then she pulled back from hugging me before checking me over, wings, tail and body, unable to see the scars beneath the surface like I could. Once she was happy that there was nothing urgently wrong with me, she hugged me again. "Where have you been, Niara?! It's been two weeks!"

"Uh, Sarah, I should probably take any questions." The Doctor tried, before quickly ducking as she swung for him. Damn, that was a fiver gone. "Sarah!"

"How dare you take my 14 year old daughter with you against those Toclafane things?! She is a child, Doctor! Niara may be smart and incredible, but she is just a baby, my baby!"

There was a pause, where the Doctor waited to see if she was going to swing for him again, before he sighed. "She's 15, Sarah Jane. Niara is 15 nearly 16 now. I have a lot to tell you, so can we please go inside to talk about this?"

Mum paused herself, before nodding to walk into a house to see Missing posters everywhere, with my face on them. "I didn't know what else to do. The police were being blocked by Torchwood, but Torchwood wouldn't talk to me, so I went to NIT, but not even they could track you after what happened with Saxon."

"Because I took her in the TARDIS. Nia got hurt and I was the only one able to help her." He explained, putting his hands in his pockets as I picked up the book I'd been reading before I left. I couldn't even remember the main characters name. "Sarah, it wasn't her fault. She was abducted by Saxon, the Master, because-"

"What?! The Master was supposed to have dead, you told me he had died! How did he even find out about her?!" She demanded, her arms going back around me as she got panicked again. Her heart... It was so fast... "Why is she a year older if she was just kidnapped? How did I miss a whole year of my daughters life?"

The Doctor glanced at me as I kicked the bag with the Katana in it to the side. Hopefully, she wouldn't notice. "Nia, love, could you go put on the kettle while I talk to your mum? Milk, two sugars in tea or coffee."

Nodding, I escaped the growing tension in the hallways by going into the kitchen, filling the kettle with fresh water and started to make two teas and went on instinct to make a coffee for myself before I paused. So long since I'd been stood in this kitchen and I still had that instant muscle memory of how to make everyones hot drinks. It was scary how you could just fall back into something and forget that the bad ever happened.

But my ears pricked up as I heard mum start to cry. Mum never cried, not since Great Auntie L died.

"Everything she did... Doctor, she's just a child, how could she manage to do all of that?" She was asking him so I crept up to the doorway to look at her on the sofa, crying. I'd forgotten that I'd learnt to walk so silently that I could follow Death in his footsteps and not even he would hear me. "My daughter may be the best at so many things, but she has a habit of being too strong for too long, Doctor. How can she go back to a normal life after fronting a war against the biggest mass murderer since the Dalek's?"

"She can do anything she puts her mind to, but you can't push her to do anything. If she can't face school on a random day of the year, say she's sick. If she's acting up at school, keep her home for a while. If she's impossibly aggressive for no reason, just wait it out and then talk to her. If she won't come out of her room for days, just try and give her the space she needs. It's only if she doesn't eat at all that you worry, though I do know she's a picky eater at the best of times. But I will always come if you need help." Now he sighed, both of them facing away so that they didn't know I was listening in. "The damage, the only physical sign of it, is that when she was shot, her, her lungs and throat were burnt away. She won't be as fast for a long, long time, and she's going to get so short of breath that it's going to start trigger asthma attacks again. And... She can't talk, her vocal chords burnt away completely."

My mother looked at him sharply, before seeing me out of the corner of her eyes. And she looked so lost as to what to do with a mute daughter. "Oh, Baby..."

It doesn't hurt, you know I don't properly feel pain if I don't want to. There's nothing that ca be done, so can we just leave it, please? I just want to forget the last year and get back to normal, OK?

She nodded with a teary smile, before coming around the sofa to hug me again. "Yeah. Yeah, of course, Nia." Mum paused to sniff back more tears and wipe away fallen ones. "I'll uh, I'll have to come up with a story to tell the police about how you got back."

"Leave that to me. I can talk to Jack at Torchwood, get them to release something about Saxon kidnapping smart kids to help with the Archangel Network." The Doctor sniffed, looking close to tears himself. Was it really just because I was like him that he cared about me? "It's the least that I can do, after putting her through all of that. It'll be sorted within an hour."

My heart thudded a little at the idea of him leaving, of not having someone around who knew the extent of what I had done, but I bit back fear and walked over to hug him tight. Mum seemed shocked that I was allowing someone to touch me, but didn't say anything as he hugged me back and kissed my hair. Do you have to go so soon?

He nodded, pulling back to walk out of our lives again. "You know that I don't stay still. I'll check in on you. You might not know that I'm there, but you won't be alone, OK?"

I nodded, my hair falling in front of my face as we waved him into the TARDIS. Mum started to clear away the Missing posters right away, wanting to forget that I'd been missing in the first place, so I just grabbed my bag and told her that I was going to put my things away. Before stopping and closing my eyes, counting to ten so I didn't start to cry again, then signed it to her instead. This was going to take some getting used to...

My room was just as I'd left it, the windows boarded up to stop the light hurting my eyes, books nearly staked or filed, but my clothes were literally everywhere, along with the power tools in various inventions, pens and half broken make up. This was a teenagers room, almost typical for someone 14. It was meant for someone who hadn't just fought in a war and who wasn't now afraid to be left alone in the dark.

I started to clear everything away, my washing all getting put in the basket because I honestly couldn't remember which was the clean patch of floordrobe and which was the dirty before I took down the boards. The windows were dusty, so I carefully started to clean them as I ignored my burning retina's, my room full of natural light for the first time in so many years.

In the corner, there were still tiny little drawings in permanent marker. A tiny me and mum, holding hands with my talk longer than either of us. I'd drawn that the first day we bought the house, because I was happy to be home with my mummy. It had just been us, and we honestly thought that we were enough for each other. Only I grew solitary and cold, mum just going frosty and defensive. We needed Luke, Maria and Clyde, they'd stopped us from being those mad people everyone was afraid of.

Then I opened my bag, taking out my measly food rations to put on my desk, my water canteen, patched up with anything from duct tape to clay when we'd been in Africa. The broken end of my tail when it had been shot off. It was something I'd been planning on burning, I just hadn't gotten around to it yet.

And I took my repaired armour from the bag, placing it under my bed, before unsheathing my Katana, holding it carefully down the centre of my face, before swinging it carefully down to slice the top of my coat rack off in a single hit. It was deadly sharp and would never be any other way.

"Oh, wow." Mum whispered, coming in a few minutes after I stashed it in the back of my wardrobe, hiding it with my old hockey stick from before I got banned for hitting the ball so hard it went through the goal. "I've never seen your room so tidy, or so bright. I forgot that it was purple, not black."

I can't be in the dark. So I'll stay in the light even if it hurts.

"Nia, if you can't be in the dark, or, or you can't speak-"

Mum, please, look. I'm not going to do the whole cry and get better thing. We both know that has never been me. What's going to help me is getting back to normal and forgetting the last year existed for me, OK?

She looked at me for a long moment, like she was really lost as to what to do with me before nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, OK. I'll uh, I'll get tea on and make your favourite. How does that sound?"

What was my favourite food? Something that did come from a can, something I hadn't hunted for myself. Yeah, OK.

My mother went to leave the room again, but I grabbed her and gave her a giant hug this time, wishing that I could tell her that I was sorry she was having to deal with things she didn't sign up for when she had me. That I could tell her how for the last year, I'd been fighting for her and Luke, doing whatever it took to make sure I'd see them again. I wanted to tell my mum that I loved her and I was still the same Fledgling, deep down under a war's worth of invisible scars all over my body.

But short of hoping that either of us remembered enough sign language for a full conversations, I just wished that hugging her like I used to as a kid would let her know. It seemed to help at least, and she hugged me back with a kiss to my fluffy, freshly washed hair. God had I missed hot showers and Lush toiletries...

"Oh, Baby... I'm sorry for everything you saw or did." She whispered into my hair, close to tears yet again. "But what you did saved so many lives in the long run. Anyone who was... Hurt, can't even remember it. So forgive yourself. Or if you can't, know that I forgive you myself. My precious Niara."

Mym pulled back and cupped my face softly for a moment, her warm, worn hands stroking my cheekbones before nodding. "That's all I'm going to say on the matter. Can't vouch for your brother not asking constant questions, or Maria and Clyde." And paused again, her hazel eyes looking into my own, identical to hers. "Now, I feel like that might be a whole other topic that I may not be able to skim over, Baby. He told me what happened."

I sighed and moved to sit cross legged on my bed, my tail waving cautiously in the air as mum sat down at my desk. I didn't know how to deal with the emotions, I've never even felt them before, so... I didn't let myself feel them at all. And tried to say things to deter Clyde from liking me.

"Like how you couldn't trust him in case he one day let slip how his girlfriend was an alien butterfly?" She asked with a small smile. "The Doctor also told me what happened, in the Year that was reversed for us, but not you. The Master killed Clyde right in front of you, and you thought that you'd never get to say sorry." I nodded, looking down at my hands as smooth and dainty as they'd been the day I left. "Do you like him, Baby?"

For a moment, I didn't move, thinking of the right signs to explain the words in my head, before giving up and just nodded.

Mum smiled, playing with the ring she'd always had on her thumb. "You've always been so anti-social, I never thought you'd like anyone. It's OK, Nia. If you like him, let him know. If you're worried about your wings, don't do anything in public. Which doesn't mean you can have him here in your room all the time either, if he is ever in here, the door stays open." Which made me laugh a little, before stopping as I realised it was the first time I had laughed in over a year. "Having him around could help, Niara. God knows Maria moving in over the road and bringing Luke with her was the wake up call we needed with our lives. Why don't you go and meet them from school while I get tea going? Tell Maria and Clyde they're welcome to stay as well. It's a celebration of you coming home."

Again, I just nodded, getting to my feet and went to put on my coat, forgetting my wings. So I had to close my eyes and try to remember how to retract my wings and tail. My mind had to be clear, I had to just suppress any and all powerful emotions to the point I felt nearly nothing.

For the first time in a year, I had to hide who I was.

Mum waved me off as I started to walk to Park Vale, my nose buried back in fiction to keep me distracted from the world, from my head, my memories. With my hood up, I stood just outside the school gates a few minutes before the final bell went, not caring that no one paid any attention to me. A few short weeks ago, I saved all their lives, they all knew my name. Now? Now I was just a shadow and that was far better.

Dribs and drabs started to fade out before 3 kids came out, Maria balanced on Clyde's skateboard as he pulled her along, Luke trying to kick along a football, but he really wasn't any good. Oh, God, Clyde... He was alive, and well, and just... The last time I'd seen him he'd been dead in the gravel, because of me, but he was alive.

A few hundred meters away, Luke stopped, staring at me before making Clyde and Maria do the same. "Niara!" He shouted, abandoning the ball and running to hug me. And for the first time ever, I hugged my little brother back so tight my shoulders clicked. "Where have you been? Mum, she was so scared, you just ran and then you were with Saxon, but it was two weeks ago, you just disappeared!"

I looked at him for a moment, before going into his bag to get some paper before turning him round to write on his back. It's hard to explain, Luke. But I'm back, back for good. Not going anywhere again. I don't suppose any of you know sign language, do you?

Clyde nodded, not looking at me, just my note. "Uh, I know a bit, my cousin Damon's deaf, he taught me a bit. But you can hear us, Ni, why are you asking if we know sign language?"

Because my voice has been stolen.

"Your voice is stolen? What do you mean?" He frowned, finally looking up. "Where have you been? Sarah Jane lost her nut, we had to call an ambulance when she nearly didn't stop having a panic attack." Oh, mum... "Does she know you're back?"

I nodded quickly, looking between my brother and his two friends. And started to scribble something down, giving them the story that the nation would hopefully believe about my abduction. How Harold Saxon kidnapped me and a few other super brains to work on the up keep of the Archangel Network. I just wanted to pretend that was what really happened.

They believed me, hugging me again, before I signed to my new translator, Clyde, about the fact that my voicebox got removed to stop me from screaming. It could heal, due to my Stryx DNA, but for the moment, I was left unable to communicate. Like an email of electrical impulses getting lost in my throat so it never made it all the way to the inbox of my mouth.

I got another round of hugs, something I never used to allow because I hated people touching me. I still did, really, I just... For a year, I'd been untouchable and I didn't want to stay that way. Then I took over on the skateboard as we headed home, wishing that I could tell them I'd skated across a minefield in Times Square, grinding along railings and ledges. but I couldn't, all because of one tiny little communication error. I was left unable to tell them what really happened.

Honestly, I had no idea what was worse. The fact that I had walked a war torn Earth, during the Year the Never Was, or the fact that I could tell no one about it.


	12. Settle Back

Dear Diary

Today will be the same as it was before. Before I lost my voice and my ability to sleep at all.

I will get up, I will put on my uniform and I will just go to school, sit through lessons and pretend like I am not really a year older than I was before. I will pretend that I did not come home from War only two days ago and that Princess Niara Smith, the Stryx Crown Princess, is merely Nia. The smart freak who can't talk.

Today will just be the same and tomorrow I will repeat it. I will keep repeating it, keep going, until even I believe the lies.

"Nia, time for school, Baby!" Mum knocked as I put down the pen to my book and grabbed my schoolbag, the now patchwork one that had gone around the world with me. I'd picked it out at the beginning of year 10. I should have been in year 11, I was going to be 16 in just over a month. "You sure you feel up to it? You only just got back, Nia."

I nodded, taking a well read copy of Neverwhere in my hand and started to read as I joined up with Luke coming out of his own dinosaur room. I couldn't say much, I had butterflies and roses. "I'm in your history class now. All my teachers wanted us to be put together, as the smartest, but mum said that they should only move me up a year if necessary."

I'd have appreciated the support of having luke or Cly with me, actually. The people who would whisper and mutter things about me behind my back would be so much worse now. I couldn't defend myself against them, not with words instead of actions. Clyde could at least give as good as he got, like I used to.

But I just gave him a brief smile and went out with him to walk with Clyde and Maria, stood with Mr Jackson. In the Year, he's been the tech support for a Resistance Station hiding out in Paddington Station. Right now... He was working on getting his garden winter ready. I had sacrificed so much, but at least I could see that I changed things for the better. "Hey, Nia! It's so good you're back. I'm sorry about the... You know..." And he trailed off, not sure how to address my hopefully temporary situation.

IT'S FINE. I told him, holding up a few of the basic phrases I had printed out and laminated for the day ahead. I JUST WANT TO MOVE ON AND FORGET

"Fair enough. Still good that you're home. Maria, I'll see you tonight."

We waved as we walked off together, seeing mums fretful face in the window as I tried to get back to the current reality.

People were muttering from the moment I stepped onto the playground, hushed whispers about the girl the Prime Minister kidnapped. I'd been expecting it, but my wings burned all the same from the attention I was unable to answer to. "Ni, no one would blame you for backing out name. Are you sure you can do this?" Cly asked me as Luke and Maria got into a discussion about the Trickster or something. What had I missed while asleep? "You were kidnapped by the guy who assassinated the President."

Yeah. Yeah I was, and if I could do that, survive everything that had entailed, then I could survive school. And that is why I have to be here. To say that I can defeat anything. I'm taking this day by day until I don't have to think about acting brave. I just am.

He gave me a smile at that, lacing my fingers though his as I smiled back. "You're already brave, Princess."

Oh, if only he knew...

But then the bell went and we had to part ways. I headed to English, Clyde, Maria and my brother going to their respective sciences.

My usual seat had not been taken so I sat in the far back corner, as far away from people and the windows as possible, kicking myself as I remembered my headphones sitting on my desk. No escape from hearing everyone.

"Morning, class." Miss Davies smiled, walking into the room with her usual mug of coffee, just as dark as I took mine, before placing it down on her desk and proceeded to write the date on the board. I almost wrote 2008 when copying, that's how confused I still was date wise. "We're going on to a new topic of War Poetry today, how men during WW1 and 2 wrote it to newspapers. Can anyone tell me why they did that?"

No one spoke as I wrote about it in my exercise book, Miss Davies giving hints as she walked around the room. Before pausing next to me with a smile, reading what I put. Miss Davies had always loved being my teacher, no others in the English department had ever wanted me. "I see you've still got it, even without your voice, Sweetheart." I loved Miss Davies, she was honestly the best teacher. "Soldiers wrote them to try and deter other men and women from enlisting in the war. They were trying to explain that the posters, the propaganda, the government was putting up, was a lie. That in fact, you were most likely going to end up dead and forgotten. There was no honour in dying for a country that couldn't even remember your name."

Hand outs were passed around then, ones that I read through quickly and knew right away. Wilfred Owen was one I knew especially, Dulce Et Decorum Est being something I had read many a time over my year. Miss Davies told us all to pick a poet and write about them as homework, but the task for that lesson was to write a poem based on your personal wars.

People in the call were writing about the fights between them and a teacher, or their parents. They wrote about a concept they couldn't at all know about beyond playing Call of Duty, which boys were writing about. In between throwing paper and pens at me, anyway.

My hand just started to flow as I wrote, writing about the conflict of silence. The silence of victims and the silence of the pain they might feel from their oppressors. Silence that even stretched to soldiers, unable to speak out against commanding officers who had no idea what it was like to be out fighting on the front line. The way death sunk into their bones like the word coward would if they hadn't fought at all.

Miss davies was wandering around again, checking what people were writing on, reading a small part and then giving them some tips. Before she paused next to me, surprised that I was actually writing, then read the whole thing that I was in the process of spell checking. My heart stopped in fear of what she was going to say, if it was too close to the things I had witnessed first hand and therefore worrying for a teacher.

But she didn't say anything then, waiting until our double lesson to be over and for us to go to break before stopping me leaving the classroom. "Nia, that poem. Did you really write that?" I nodded a little, playing with a loose button on the front of my blazer. "You've never even given your full attention to my lessons before, though your work is always A* level. Is writing something you enjoy? I mean, you're always reading, you must have a love of fiction."

To which I just shrugged, moving my arm to cover Neverwhere in my pocket. I read, I enjoyed other people's fantasy worlds, I'd ever even considered trying to create my own. Why would I be good at it?

"I think maybe you should try it. Just short stories, or poems. If you don't want to, that's fine, but I really think you'd be good at it." She went to her store cupboard and took out a print out from a year 12 class and a larger, thicker exercise book. "This is a character sheet. It's actually a Dungeons and Dragons one, but it's a good place to start. And here's a book for it. I give these out to students who I think could really benefit from it."

My hand softly stroked the dark blue cover of the book, feeling smoother, better quality paper inside than my usual books. I wanted to be able to thank her for them, to say it, but I gave it to her in sign language instead. "You're welcome, Sweetheart. Go on, go find your brother and those two others. I'll see you tomorrow for class."

Again I just nodded, slipping the two gifts into my bag before walking out into the wintry light of November. Only to get dragged into the girls toilets by my hair, a bunch of girls ready and waiting. They'd previously stuck to bitching about me behind my back, obviously they thought that I was easy pickings now.

My brain at first wanted to attack them, my wings and tail wanting to join the fight, but I just stood there. I could take them easily, but I had to play human. Nothing was more human that being breakable.

It hurt as my face got smashed into the basin of the sink, my lip splitting as my tooth went through it, but I shut it off just as I got kicked in the ribs, over my surgery wound that was taking longer to heal. They beat the crap out of me but got bored quickly as I didn't react, leaving me lying on the toilet floor, my mouth slowly healing to a scab.

I'd been expecting a beating on my first day back. It was just a given when you're someone like me, both hidden and put out on display at the same time. There were two options with it; go home crying and refuse to go back, even though there were no signs of actual injury and you'd been through worse, or suck it up and terrified them by showing them how a warrior took her beatings.

My choice was easy. I fixed my make up, washing the worst of the blood out of my shirt and headed to my history class unable to feel any pain. I should have, I knew my ribs were most likely going to bleed through the bandage over them, but the joys of mastering your body meant that you could easily block it out. It meant that you were totally in control.

History was amusing. Most of the girls were still in my class, and they gaped at my miraculous recovery as I headed to my seat, with Luke now in the empty one that had always been to my left. The whispering started, but it was mostly about how I was still walking when they were sure they heard my ribs snapping. Which they did, but they'd be healed by lunch. I stood up after a knife to the thigh, a bullet to the shoulder and I kept flying with half my tail missing. 9 girls who just wanted to try and show me this was their school? They were nothing compared to the Master.

Our teacher quickly shut them up, putting on a film about World War Two and the Battle of the Somme. I didn't really pay attention, just doodled in the margin. Drawing a tiny faery with a long sharp tail and a razor sword.

But my attention faded as part of the film showed soldiers running across the battlefield, bullets flying after them and explosions left, right and centre. My heart stopped as I remembered running across the open plains of Louisiana, the Marshes where we just sunk in the mud and tried to keep running. People, refugees, they were falling like flies into the mud, dying for nothing as soldiers aimed solely for Martha and I.

I hadn't realised that I was shaking or digging my nails into the desk until Luke was shaking me and saying my name, all the eyes in the room fixed on myself and the episode I had accidentally fallen in to. The sudden awakening from my gruesome flashback caused me to gaso and jerk out of my chair with a start, making people laugh and just think I'd dozed off. If only.

Unable to hold anything back, I grabbed my bag and legged it from the room, the door slamming behind me. Not even Luke followed me as I ran to the only hiding place in Park Vale.

The library was bare more of the time, nearly all the books having been destroyed before hand, but there were several places to easily hide with the library, and it was just quiet. Running my fingers along spines of well thumbed, sticky, jam stained paperbacks, I went to go and sit in the small corner that had the only non-popped beanbag. Only to stop as I saw a familiar figure sat there, sketching.

I went to sneak back from him, but I backed into a pile of books that hadn't been put away yet, making him look up and see me "Hey! I, uh, I thought you and Luke had history?"

And?

"Guess you don't really do sitting in classes that bore you, huh?" He smiled as I pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards. "I've got a free period. IT was sit in here and draw or go play footy in the freezing cold."

What are you drawing? I signed, craning my neck to try and look. Only he didn't let e on. You can't be a worse artist than I am, Clyde.

"It's not finished. I can show you later." He blushed as I checked my phone, seeing my goody two shoes brother had text me during lessons to ask if I was alright. Apart from the vivid, realistic flashback of one of the worst days of my life, yeah. "How are you doing today? Wishing you'd stayed at home?"

In response, I just lifted my shirt up to show the large black and blue bruise Sinead had given me. That girl had to have been wearing steel toe caps or something.

"What the hell, Ni?! Who the hell did that to you?" He demanded, getting to his feet to get a closer look, my cropped vest covering for a bra while my surgery wound didn't let me wear one. "Oh, mate, I am going to beat the shit out of whoever did that to you-"

I smiled at him and shook my head a little, imagining Clyde, who only looked tall while stood next to tiny me, taking on the schools bad girls. He'd get slaughtered. He was still just as protective of me as the time he had died so that I wouldn't. "Nia, you've just had the crap-"

He didn't get to finish what he was saying because I kissed him this time, my arms going around his neck as his hands found my waist. It was Clyde who broke it, breathlessly resting his forehead on mine for a moment before speaking. "What happened to us never being possible? Because you weren't sure if you could ever fully put your guard down around me."

Because for an entire year of war, I thought of nothing more than keeping you and my family safe. Because the first time I saw you after that year, I felt like I was seeing real hope after so long of being in darkness. Because I watched you die trying to save me.

Something that happened while I was gone changed my mind. You, you haven't changed yours, have you?

Clyde shook his head. "No, no, of course not, Ni. God, sometimes, the way you look at all of us, even your brother, it's like you were gone for a year, not two weeks." Oh, if only I could tell him... "I won't ever hurt you, Nia, or do anything that could expose you. Partly because your mum slightly terrifies me with how protective mama bear she is, but also because I really like you."

I really like you too.

He smiled and went to kiss me again, but a voice made us jump and we looked to see Maria stood holding a load of engineering books. "Um, did you really ditch your lesson just to make out with Clyde in the library?"

Maybe? But at least having them around me, I had a better chance of settling back in.


	13. Boy, Missing

Dear Diary,

It was starting to get easier, the pretending. Getting up after a night of staring at a moonlit ceiling, showering, then going to school, spending the day with Clyde, my boyfriend, and Maria, and my lovely little brother.

Pretending is all I have, it was all that stopped me from screaming silently and falling apart and just falling back into that black pit that I only just climbed out of before coming home. Please, just don't make me go back there, I couldn't bare it... I need them, my family, they're all I have.

Luke really didn't understand the concept of being eco-friendly. I was sat on the windowsill, writing in the book Miss Davies gave me, as he say reading while the TV was also blaring. "If the human race is going to survive climate change, you're going to have to give it a hand. Not to mention my electricity bill. Nia, Baby, did you see what he did with the remote?"

I shook my head but got up to help her look, before staring in shock and horror at the photo of the missing boy on the screen, wishing that I had my voice. Luke, it's you! I signed, making them stare as well.

"Whoever's got him, you might think you're caring for him, you might think you love him, but he belongs with us, his mum and dad."

"But you're my mum. And Niara's my big sister."

This was not happening. Mum pulled us right up to the attic, her arm worriedly around my little brother. "Mr Smith, we need you. More than ever."

He came out, already knowing what was happening. "I have been monitoring the news."

"It can't be true." Mum insisted as I took Luke's hand tight, letting him know that I wouldn't let anything happen to him without a fight. "Luke was created by the Bane to absorb human brain patterns. Did they model him on this missing boy? Is that it?"

"There's only one way to be certain." Mr Smith informed us. "I need to scan Luke."

He was just getting scared though. "No! The Bane made me. I don't remember anything or anyone before I woke up in the Bane's Laboratory. Then I met Maria, and then I met you two."

It's alright, Luke. I signed, hoping he understood, though my hands were shaking. But we have to be sure.

So he was moved in front of the screen, Mr Smith ready and waiting. "This won't hurt at all, Luke." Then did the scan and started to compare the two boys. This was not happening, please... I was just starting to get back to normal... "I am assessing. My assessment is complete. My cellular scan and DNA cross-reference with available medical records for Ashley Stafford are concluded. I have a comprehensive genetic match. Luke and Ashley Stafford are the same person."

Mum shook her head as I closed my eyes, pretending I was still asleep and this was all a dream. If only. "No, there must be some mistake."

"I don't make mistakes. That is a human trait." I wasn't human and I made mistakes.

"The Bane made me!" Luke shouted, looking terrified. "You know they did!"

I tried to think of plausible explanations. Hell, cloning was even likely right now. Mr Smith, this doesn't make any sense. Luke was never born. He doesn't have a naval.

But there was even a counter argument for that. "The Bane, being egg born, would find the naval crude and offensive. They would have surgically removed it at the time he was programmed as the Archetype."

"But you're my mum and sister."

"Mr Smith, is there any chance at all?"

The computer I bought was never wrong. "Chances of a DNA mismatch, approximately 4 billion to 1."

But then the front door knocked, so mum went to ask for a minute before looking at us both in the living room. There was a good chance I'd get taken away from her. If that happened, I'd start another war just to make things right. "What's going to happen?"

"Well, I expect the police will take us to the station. They'll question me and Nia, maybe put her into care for a while, and you'll see your parents again. Your real parents."

"So why can't I remember them?" Luke, Ashley, demanded. "I know all sorts of things. Quantum theory, Magnusarks Law of Hyperdimensional Relativity. I can remember every page of every book I've ever read. So why can't I remember them?"

"I wish I had the answers, Luke." Mum told him sadly. "I know this is difficult. You must know I do, and even Niara looks terrified. I've only just got her back, and now... But this isn't a bad day. Mr and Mrs Stafford, your real parents, they love you."

"But don't you love me? Nia?"

Now we both hugged him, my wings and tail tucking themselves away once again. "Of course we do. But you don't belong with us, Luke. Your mum and dad have spent months searching for you. The Bane took you away and broke their hearts, just like when Saxon took Nia away from us. Today is the most wonderful day in their lives. They're going to get you back and you are going to be an ordinary human boy with parents that care for you, the way I never could, even with just Niara. And it's the best day of your life too, you'll see."

So she lead us outside, the street crawling with police and nosy neighbours. Don't be nervous, Luke. It's going to be OK. They're you're real parents. His biological mum was running for us now, tackling him into a hug. Everything's going to be fine, I promise.

The flashing lights were started to aggravate me now, making me angry that any of this was happening as Ashley's mum fussed over the boy who I thought would always be my brother. They should never give me things if they were only going to take them away again, it was just going to make me so much worse. "Are you really my mother? Was I born from your womb, as Niara was born from Sarah Jane's?"

"Ashley, what are you-" She blinked at him as I tried to find somewhere else to look that didn't have the onslaught of lights, by they were everywhere. All I could see was the flashes from guns and explosions of bombs and it was so hard to stay unfeeling. "Of course I'm your mother."

"Don't you remember us, son?"

As Luke shook his head, Mrs Stafford turned to mum, stood in front of me. "What have you done to him, you witch?!"

She went for her, but I moved at my enhanced speed in front, shoving her back as hard as I could so she went skidding across the pavement with a silent snarl. No one hurt my mother. "Nia, please, you have to calm down." Mum begged, touching my wings through my shirt as they threatened to make an appearance. "We haven't harmed him, I swear. Luke, Ashley, he had an accident. He lost his memory. My daughter and I had no idea he had a parents looking for him."

"What, you thought the faeries had left him, did you?" Mr Stafford spat as a few policemen both dealt with the stunned woman and came towards us. "You and your freak kid make me sick."

"I think we'd better talk this through down at the station, don't you, Miss Smith?" One said, more coming towards me as I trembled with rage, slipping down that dark slope I'd spent weeks climbing. "We'll take your daughter as well, just to a different part of the station, make sure the stories are straight."

So mum was lead away as two more officers came over to me, trying to get me into a different car. Like hell I was going anywhere without her, we were not being separated from each other. I started to fight them as Luke was dragged in the other direction, calling out for mum and me. But mum willingly let herself get put in the car as I was manhandled into another, driving us both away.

I didn't stop fighting until I was moved into a room with a Bobo doll in it for questioning, trying to find any way to get out and get to mum. I could hear someone outside, the name Skylark being thrown around as they obviously got hold of my file from UNIT. When the door opened, I went to run through, sod the person who'd get flattened as I barged through, but stopped at the sight of a familiar scarf and inhaler. Which reminded me, I hadn't taken mine yet that morning, I was probably going to suffocate and die at any moment. Osgood?

"Hello, Niara. Sorry, it took me so long." She smiled slyly, two polystyrene cups of coffee in her hands. "The Brigadier told me how you take coffee. I've been sent as a social worker for you, not that I'm at all trained in that, but it stops the actual CSA being called in. Kate is dealing with Sarah Jane."

Took you long enough. No offence, but it should be Martha. She's dealt with my rage, she was less likely to get barged into and terrified.

"Because Martha is still in training and the Brigadier is unable due to a personal attachment. It was me, though I personally really like you as well, or Colonel Mace, who you probably would have just run right past." For starters, I'd probably have just tried to mace him, second, he was Army side, not Science. We'd clash. "I'm afraid that we can't do anything about Luke, um, Ashley. Everything points towards him actually being this Stafford boy. But we're doing what we can to keep you and Sarah Jane together. The police want to put you in care for a few weeks, or maybe in a rehabilitation centre for your anger."

I shook my head quickly, terrified of being nowhere near her or Clyde, or even just Maria and her dad. If they lost me as well as their best mate, they'd be devastated, because I would kill someone and be arrested. No. I can't. I refuse. Mum didn't do anything wrong!

Osgood put her hands gently on my shoulders. "I know. It's just protocol. We're sorting it. We look after our own at UNIT now, you're going to be fine, Niara. Really."

Taking a shaky breath, I nodded, touching the hollow of my throat where there was honestly nothing there but tensing muscle that would stop me breathing at a heartbeat's notice. How much longer is this going to take? I don't do well being trapped.

"Not much longer. With Sarah Jane's past, it's easy to free her of incrimination. Your neighbours will probably still stare for a while, but at least you'll be at home." The pretty UNIT woman smiled at me as I sat down against the wall. "How are you readjusting? We have a brief outline of what you did, during the year that was reversed, but even Martha won't tell us certain things."

To which I just silent laughed and looked at the tiny window near the ceiling. I could have gotten out, but not without my wings, and there was a camera in the corner. I wake up and try to scream for Martha, the Doctor, for my mum, anyone to stop the pain of the nightmares. It's only when I run out of breath that I remember. I will never utter another word and I will never sleep another night.

Osgood sat down next to me, wrapping part of the long scarf around my own neck in an attempt to make me laugh. All I did was give her a weak smile. "It will get better, Niara. I promise that it will. The Doctor wouldn't have brought you back just yet if he didn't think you were ready, or were safe to be reintroduced."

Thanks for making me feel like a convict being rehabilitated there, Petronella. You sound like my boyfriend. All he says is, you'll click back into the routine. You were only missing for two weeks, Princess, you just need to give yourself a little time. I sighed and rubbed my eyes, my hands still shaking from when I lost it and nearly slaughtered Lukes, Ashley's, mum. I can't tell him what happened in my version of 2008. Tell him that he died to save my life. He's 14, he shouldn't think like that.

"That world was different, yes. But take each day as it comes, talk, well, sign to your mum when you're struggling, don't bottle it all up. You'll be fine." She smiled at me, before handing my inhaler to puff on and used her own. Then went to the door. "Osgood, P. UNIT ident 4579843. Clearance Level 1. Open the door, please."

They did so, not looking happy, but nodded as my release papers were signed. "Smith, Niara Andrea Skylark," I'm sorry, what was that second middle one? "Released from juvenile custody 1108 hours into the care of Smith, Sarah Jane. Social worker is Osgood, P, to be checked in on at regular intervals. If you'd like to follow me."

He lead me back out to the main reception of the station, where mum was stood with a familiar looking blonde woman, before both she and Osgood moved off to the side to talk and I hugged my mother tight. "Oh, Baby... I thought that you were going to get taken away from me too. Who did you get? You seem to know and trust her."

Her name is Osgood. I signed, her name actually only being me miming an inhaler. Names were weird in sign language, they were more a gesture of the person, so mum was writing, Clyde was laughing, Luke was reading. I was similar to an angel. She's a friend of Uncle Alistair. Are we going home now?

"Yes, we are." She agreed, kissing my hair with a small smile, tucking my loose curls of dark hair behind my elfin ear. "We're going home where you're going to stay. I'm not letting you out of my sight, Niara."

We parted ways with the two UNIT women before driving home. Bannerman Road was far too quiet without Luke, now I didn't have a voice. "Sarah Jane, Niara."

Mum hugged Maria for a short moment, before something changed and she pushed Luke's, Ashley's, best friend away. "Luke has gone. Back to his parents, where he belongs, and they are his parents. Mr Smith confirmed it. The Bane kidnapped him, did things to him. I got it wrong, not for the first time."

"I'm really sorry. Him and Nia, they only just started to really get on like brother and sister."

My mother just shook her head though. "No, it's for the best. Beyond having Nia, children have no place in my life. She's just a kid and now she's staying out of this as well, before she gets even more hurt." I stared at her as I clutched at my phone, seeing endless messages and missed calls from Clyde as I dug through my bag. "I never should have got her involved in the first place."

You don't mean that. Mum, I've been involved since the moment you chose to have me instead of aborting like you were recommended. I am an alien myself, I am involved whether you like it or not.

"I can't have other people to worry about. They're a distraction, they make you make mistakes." Mum insisted as I puffed my inhaler out of pure shock. "These past few months, these years involving you, Niara, I've been lucky. I can't expect that to hold up forever."

Maria shook her head in disbelief. "You don't mean that."

"Go home. You tell you dad he was right. He should put the house on the market. And he and you, and Clyde just forget about us and everything you've seen."

"What?" She asked in horror as I realised she wasn't going to ever let me see Clyde, not if she wanted no distractions. She could take me out of school, stop me leaving. "How are we going to do that? What happened to never turning your back on the universe?"

Mum merely shrugged. "Sometimes you have to. Something it's the only way to survive."

Our neighbour stormed out then as I glared at my mother. Are you forgetting that I am dating Clyde? And that I'm UNIT?

"Nia, they can't hire a child!"

I am not a child! I haven't been since long before the War, and I'm nearly 16! Clyde is my boyfriend as well, and I'm not breaking up with him just because you've decided that your heart is getting locked back in ice. If I do that, then I'll just never feel again because I can't keep stopping and starting. Please, do not make me stop feeling.

"Look, you've barely bloody met him, Niara. You've only known Clyde since September and you get to feel and have your wings out at home. I will not have this discussion with you again, young lady, you are to stop seeing him and that's final. I am the mother here, not you. It's about time you started listening to me."

My eyes widened as hers did, her hand going over her mouth as I turned and quickly ran out of the house, still holding my bag. I just kept running until I found Clyde's house, wiping my eyes free from tears that I refused to fall before I went and rang the door bell.

It was his mum who answered the door, a woman who I knew was really nice, but had never before met. So, she had no idea who I was and I had no idea if she had any idea on how to understand me if I told her anything. "Hey, are you alright, darling? Has someone chased you?"

Shaking my head, I sniffed and showed my phone background. It was a picture of me, Clyde, Maria and Luke, taken by mum after we'd gone for pizza the week before. Which helped her to realise who I was. Her sons half alien girlfriend, though she had no idea of this face.

"Oh, you're Niara! Sorry, I didn't realise. Come on in." I did as she told me to, closing the front door behind me as she went to the stairs. "Clyde! Nia's here!"

There was a loud crash from upstairs, before a panicked looking Cly appeared. "5 minutes. Just, give me 5 minutes they you can come up."

Both of us laughed, though mine made no sound, then disappeared again, leaving us to hear him start cleaning his room desperately. "See, now he's going to bring down all his dirty dishes at last." His mum smiled, shaking her head at her son. "Come on, let's have a coffee while we wait for him."

Coffee sounded perfect, so I followed her into the kitchen and watched as she made up a cafetiere of an amazing smelling concoction that tasted even better than it smelt. After not having access to it for a year, I now took my liquid darkness with no sugar, like a true caffeine addict. "So, you're the yaer above my Clyde, aren't you?" I nodded. "Don't people in your own year get on with you?"

Now I shook my head, letting my hair half fall over my face as I lightly touched my still healing ribs. They never gave me a chance to let them heal. I'm considered too much of a freak. Maria and Clyde mostly became my friends because they're from my, um, from Luke's year. Who is now Ashley so I'm really surprised that he still wants anything to do with me.

"Well, you shouldn't be. Ever since he first met you and that poor confused boy, he's done nothing but talk about you. Especially now you're his girlfriend." She smiled at me, putting a hand lightly on my arm. I tried not to flinch, but she quickly realised that I wasn't one for being touched. "Have a little faith in yourself. He should be done by now, you should go on up. We have a spare room here if you need to stay the night, but don't get used to the idea."

I gave her a smile of thanks before heading up the stairs to a room currently having mess shoved having any hidden space he could find. So I knocked and he dropped all of the stuff he was carrying. "Hey, what's wrong?" I just wrapped my arms around him tight in a hug, just wanting to be held for a moment. "I'm so sorry about Luke, Princess, I really am."

We ended up lying on his bed for a bit, his door open for both our mums peace of mind as I text him what happened. "I've never argued with her before Cly. It's only ever been us, so there was no point in fighting. Losing Luke has hit her so hard."

I nodded and kissed him softly for a moment, before it was time for me to go into the spare room that his mum, who insisted I called her Carla, set up for me. As long as I had Clyde, I would be OK. And if mum didn't didn't decide to super track down my lying, whorish King of a father so I got taken off planet."

The next morning, as it was a school day, I borrowed a shirt of Clydes and his spare tie, pared with the black skinnies I'd already been wearing. I had to kiss him goodbye as the day started, burying myself in fiction, either the story I was writing or the graphic novel Clyde was making, until I finally got to sit with them at lunch. And everything was finally hitting him.

"So that's it? No more monsters? No more saving the world?"

I shook my head, writing on the board that I'd nicked from maths. I had to supply my own pen, none here worked. Maria was also learning, but she wasn't amazing at BSL yet. She's devastated about Luke, so soon after my abduction as well.

"She's not the only one hurting, is she?" He sighed as I rested my head on his shoulder. "Where is Luke, anyway?"

Maria shrugged. "His parents live in Hammersmith. I suppose Luke, Ashley, will be going back to his old school."

Which didn't help my boyfriends frustration, given that he was now losing his best mate as well. "So that's the last we see of him, too? Man, I'd just got him listening to Kasabian. I was going to move on to Arctic Monkey's. Give me a couple of months and I could have had him passing for cool." Luke would never be cool. Had you noticed the fact he tucked in his shirt?

"Maybe Ashely is cool. Maybe he's a completely different person to Luke." My neighbour suggested. "The Bane must really have messed him about."

Yeah, well, I know that finding out that he's got a real mum and dad with no sister messed him up more. I wrote, remembering how they dragged him off as he cried out for mum and I. I had to make sure my little brother was OK. Come on. We're going to check on him. The address was in the papers.

Maria shook her head as Clyde and I got to our feet, my key going in my hand. It kept me hidden in hell, it could help me escape school undetected. London Above and London Below. "The bells going to go for lessons any minute."

"Look, if my days of fighting aliens are over, it looks like sneaking off lessons is all the excitement I'm going to get. Come on, Princess." He was literally the only person allowed to call me that. If he knew that my official name was Crown Princess Nisiria Niara Enchantress Andrea Reid, Bastard Halfling of King Elijah, it would become a whole new story.

Unfortunately Maria got caught by her French teacher on the way out, my shirt removed as I used my wings to lift both Clyde and I over the spiked fence. Which, again, he was in awe of, because I could now fly, but I didn't let him slow us down as we got the tube to Hammersmith. And I hid around the corner as I Cly knocked on the door, knowing I wouldn't go down well. "What do you want?"

"My names Clyde. I'm a friend of Luke's, I mean, Ashley's. Is he in, can I see him?"

His mum, who had grazes all over her arms from where I shoved her over the day before, glared at him. "No, times 2. Now hop it."

She tried to shut the door on us, but he slapped a hand on it as I sonicked the door onto the latch, trying to give Luke a good escape if he wanted head out. "You don't look much like Ashley, do ou, Mrs Stafford?"

"You trying to say he's no our Ashley? That Sarah Jane and Niara girl send you?" I went to step forward, but something told me not to, staying back. I knew that sound, that rumble of gas... "See? His birthday. Ashley, me, and his dad. We gave him a skateboard."

Oh really? "Good, was he, on a skateboard?" Clyde asked,having the same thought as me. You could wipe a persons mind completely, but muscle memory wasn't part of the brain, it was your body, brawn. You couldn't take it away.

"Stunning." She shot back as I resisted the urge to go over there and snap her neck. "So you take that photo and show it to you friend and her bitch daughter and you tell her my boy is back where he belongs!"

Then she slammed the door in his face as Clyde stepped back, ready to kick her. He was kicked out of his last school for fighting, it's why he thought he could take on the girls attacking me. They were a different kettle of fish. But then he kicked the door instead for me, and we headed away to the park to call Maria, who snuck out of French to answer her phone. "Clyde? Niara?"

"Maria. This whole Luke and his folks thing stinks like a Christmas dinner fart." I shoved him for that, silently groaning at how gross it was. "His so called mum wouldn't let us see him, and you know what she said they they gave him? A skateboard. You've seen him on a skateboard. No sense of balance at all."

She thought that made sense. "After what the Bane did to him."I started to sign things for Clyde to tell her. "Nia said that's nothing to do with it, because you can't lose something like that. It's instinct, muscle memory. And they gave us this photo, it's of Luke and them from his birthday party."

"Well, that proves everything, ddoesn't it?"

"Photo's can be faked." He reminded her.. "So we're going to take oit to Nia's mum."

Only as we got home, mum was just driving off, so I unlocked the door and headed up to see Mr Smith. I mean, even if I was grounded for running off again, I building him. He was basically mine, like the rest of my inventions. So I pressed my hand against the scanner, as I didn't have voice access any longer, and he slid out with the fanfare. In swear, I did not programme that, he was really just stupidly arrogant.

"Niara, Clyde. What a pleasure. You have something for me?"

Clyde nodded as I fished the photo from my bag. "Yeah, as it happens. We've got this? It's a picture of Luke with that pair that reckon he's their kid. Only we think it's fake, see? We thought you could do your analysing thing and-"

"You're right, Clyde, Niara." He informed us. "It is fake. I faked it."

This was not happening. Please tell me I didn't make the doomsday computer, I thought I'd made the one from Hitchhikers, or, or the one from the Unseen University in Ankh Morpork. "You?" Clyde asked as I stared, my wings and tail coming free. "Are we missing something here?"

"More than you could ever imagine. I am a Xylock. I have a prupose. And you, Clyde and Niara, are part of it."

Then he started up his scanning beams, before Clyde pushed me clear as he got reduced into computer code and downloaded whole.


	14. Hidden Agenda

Once Clyde was downloaded, I was stuck just on the other side of the room, trying to stay out of the way of his download beam. Which was easy enough, but he alo held every single piece of data we'd learnt about Stryx anatomy.

Including my perfect hearing and it's weakness.

Mr Smith emitted a pitch that triggered my brain to temporarily shut down, making me black out, slumped in a place I'd often been known to nap in, my bag hugged to my chest. By the time I came to, mum was in the room with Maria, having called out our psychopathic computer before I could stop them.

"Because you got it wrong, Mr Smith." Maria was telling him as I got up quickly as I could, grabbing a metal tea tray to reflect the beam in case. "They weren't Luke's parents. They're Slitheen." Again? Did they have a death wish?

Only Mr Smith was now laughing, giving away that he had been in on their plan the whole time. Chances were, it was his plan, the green things weren't exactly that smart. "Humans. So inevitably predictable."

Queue Alan bursting in to inform us what I already knew because he ate my boyfriend. "Get out! Get out now! Mr Smith, he's one of the bad guys!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Mother, now was not the time for you to actually have faith in something I'd built. Who was it who told us those people were Luke's parents, mum?

"Mr Smith, what's going on?"

"I have a purpose. It must be fulfilled." He replied. "The Slitheen have been useful, and so have you. But you are no longer required."

He started to shoot at us as Alan ushered us out the attic. Only I ran into my room first, ignoring mums complaints, grabbing my armoured chestplate and my Katana, before running out with them. "Where the hell did you get that?!"

Hell. I signed in reply, simply shrugging on the jacket. Two weeks for you was a year for me. These are a few souvenirs from my time on the front line.

But then we were out of the house, my blade safely sheathed at me hip as mum stared in horror at our home, where there was now a mad computer. "I trusted him with my life. With the whole planet. With my children."

"What's happened to him?"

"I don't know." Alan told his daughter as my mother looked wary of me. Well, she didn't expect to ever give birth to a murderous butterfly, as everyone liked to tell me I was. "Some kind of computer virus?"

I looked hopefully at him. Clyde?

"Yeah, come on." Only as he started to use some weird messenger thing on his computer, there was no sign of my boyfriend being online. "It wasn't online messaging. He was just there. He wanted to make sure Niara was OK." Cly... "I've never seen anything like it before."

We have to find out what's going on.

"Do you think what's happened to Mr Smith has anything to do with Luke and the Slitheen?"

Duh, what else would it be. It must have. I signed to mum to translate for Maria and her dad. But how?

Alan was asking good questions. He'd made a good companion. "How could Mr Smith have some connection with the Slitheen? I mean, where did he come from?"

Mum took over explaining, knowing it as well as I did. "The biggest volcanic eruption the world has ever seen. 18 months ago, when Nia and I were researching volcanic activity for her Geology Degree, a friend of mine in the same field sent us a crystal from the site of Krakatoa. The crystal had become quite a curiosity among geologists. They'd never seen anything like it. Neither had we, and my Niara had already read all the books. But they didn't see what we did.

"It was as if the crystal was communicating with our laptop and using it to communicate with us. It was a memory cell of a spacecraft that crashed millions of years ago. IT's computing power, it's knowledge, it was phenomenal. It told us amazing things. It said it could help us keep track of aliens coming to Earth, could help us protect the Earth. But conventional technology was too limited. So Niara used some basic plans to design and create Mr Smith."

"So why after all this time turn against you?"

There was no time for this. We have to work it out as we go. We gave Luke to the Slitheen, we need to find him. Whatever they want with him, I have to get him back.

Our Muggle Ally was a little confused still. "They want to use him like the Bane, to invade."

His daughter shook her head. "The Slitheen don't invade planets. They're not a race, they're a family. They're a bunch of scavengers and chancers. Its Only Fools and Horses with green skin and claws."

"Slitheen are dealers, they sell anything. And in some parts of the galaxy, telekinetic energy fetches a huge price." Mother, how had this topic moved to telekinesis? "Slitheen could have got the plans for the telekinetic energiser from the other side of the galaxy, had it built at the Pharos Institute." Pharos? Really? Prof Rivers was the equivalent of a saleswoman, not a scientist. "I knew there was a reason I didn't care for that Nathan."

Alan was now very confused. "Hang on. Telekinetic energy? What, like moving things with your mind?"

Luke's mind. I realised. The most incredible brain on the planet when it comes to memory power, better even than mine. If the Slitheen can harness it, Luke's telekinetic powers could be massive. The Slitheen never leave anything behind that they can sell, my brother will die. We have to find him, and mum knows where to look.

"Have you got any vinegar?" Mum asked Alan as we started to head for the door. Only they were out. "Oh. Then we may have to stop off at a chip shop."

Which we did at a mobile chippy, Maria's father well and truly confused by the plan. "Right, so never mind Phasers or Photon Torpedoes," Star Trek, "never mind Arnie's Uzi Nine Millimeter," Terminator, "we're taking on these aliens with bottles of vinegar from the chippy?"

Mum nodded as we got back into the car, my sword in my lap, sharp and deadly. "It's acetic acid. Slitheen are calcium life forms. Calcium and acetic acid don't mix, trust me." Yup. Maria and Clyde got a little gunked up.

"Sure, why not?"

We made it to the institute in one piece, my mother's gaze shifting to my well worn armour every few minutes, but she didn't say anything. But the institute was ever so slightly trashed. What happened here?

"With a little luck, Luke did." Mum replied, before I moved quickly to hold the sword to the throat of the Slitheen currently waking up. "What going on? What have you done with my son? My daughter will not hesitate, so speak quickly."

Mrs Stafford, the woman almost as strong as me, groaned as bottles of vinegar were aimed at her. "The misbehaving little brat? Back on Raxacoricofallapatorius, we'd spank his backside with a Bartleboigle tree." I swear to God, they just make these things up.

"He got away." A familiar voice told is, before a child grabbed Maria and I went to hit him with the sword instead. "But that doesn't matter. You killed my father, Sarah Jane and Niara Smith. At the school?" Kid I'd killed a lot more people in that space of time, most of whom came back to life now that the Year was reversed.

Only mum remembered. "You were the Slitheen child?" Wait, the chubby kid people were slapping at school? "I didn't want any of you to die, but you were going to kill our entire planet."

Alan was still aiming vinegar at him. "Get away from my daughter you overgrown newt!" It was official, I was teaching everyone better insults.

"You drop your weapons, or she dies. That includes you, Princess."

I growled without sound, but laid my sword down as Alan put his vinegar into the steel bin Mrs Stafford was holding. "Right. Let her go, frog face." It was only getting worse. I felt like I was on a kids programme.

Maria was released as I signed something for mum to translate. "What now?"

"Now we contact the Xylok. Get this deal back on the rails, given that e now have the even more powerful Princess instead."

Yeah, not happening. The Xylok?

"You know him as Mr Smith." I'd already worked that out. "He contacted us. He said that he had see what you both did to my family. He wanted to help us get revenge."

"Well, if that was the case, why did Mr Smith send me here to find the telekinetic energiser?" This was apparently news to all of them. "It's all been part of his plan. He brought you to Earth to build the telekinetic energiser. He told me to come here looking for it."

"I don't understand."

Well, neither did I and I was the smartest person in the room. Neither do I. Not yet. But I think I know the last part of his plan is falling into place. Mr Smith knew that Lule would escape. And he knew that when he did he would run straight back to our house. Right back to him.

"So what does Mr Smith want with Luke?"

My mother held the information this time. "And the telekinetic energiser headset. Mr Smith had me steal one of them. The prototypes in our attic."

The child wasn't in the mood to listen. "I don't care. I'll deal with the Xylok later. We don't need him to avenge our family."

Bitch please, I could use my tail to grab my sword before you could raise a claw. If you kill us, you'll never stop Mr Smith and you'll never get off this planet alive.

"Save your breath, you'll need it when the screaming starts." He went to go for me, but I grabbed my blade and held it up to defend myself. Only the adult male stepped in and stopped him. "Get off me! Let me go! She's my kill! A claw for a claw!"

"When you're older, you'll learn not to make snap decisions." Then he looked at my mother, who was basically my translator. "Now, what do you mean?"

"Something Mr Smith said about the telekinetic energiser. With the right mind, it could be a destroyer of worlds. He meant Luke's mind, because he knew Niara's imagination made her incompatible. I think he's planning to destroy the Earth." Brilliant, and we were now 5 miles away. Then the machines around us turned on. "What's that?"

"MITRE." Mrs Stafford stared at them all. "It's gone online."

"Massive telekinetic levels. They're off the scale." The Slitheen child gasped as the ground below us started to shake. "The moon! It's moving!"

Alan looked around the room quickly. "But it's not possible."

Mother rolled her eyes at him. "Luke isn't possible. Mr Smith isn't possible. But put them together, they're bringing the moon crashing down on Earth." Good thing it wasn't the sun. We'd have been roasted by now.

"But the moon, it's like a quarter of a million miles away."

That didn't mean anything. My Godfathers home planet was the other end of the universe, yet I still knew he could get from there to here in about 5 minutes. We'll be dead long before it hits us. The gravitational effect will tear the whole planet apart. It's already happening.

Carl, Nathan, whatever the fuck his name really was, didn't seem pleased. "At least I'll be able to tell my family you're both dead, Sarah Jane, Niara. I'm teleport back to my ship."

Or not. I just hooked my tail around his teleport control and snatched it away. No. You are to blame for this as much as Mr Smith. You're staying. Besides, your ship would get torn apart by gravitational disturbances. You would die. On the other hand, if you help us, we might just all have one chance to survive. Now I looked at Alan, mum moving with me to keep translating. I need you to help me destroy Mr Smith.

So we both got to work on computers, with my typing up the basic design for Mr SMith with his thought capacity and memory banks as Alan tried to find a way to destroy them, like a factory reset. I just had to get Clyde out first or he'd get wiped as well. "I get paid to block out Cyber Threats." What, Cybermen? "I understand viruses, I know how they work, but Mr Smith, he's more than a computer, and Nia is a far better engineer than most of the computer designers I've met." Why, thank you very much.

"Dad, you're our only chance."

"Well then, this is my best shot. The FBI had to stop a cyber terrorist from using this to destroy the entire international banking system."

Mum was a little shocked to say the least. "So how did you get hold of it?"

"You're not the only one with unorthodox contacts."

Fair enough. I wished that I still had the Japanese contacts that supplied me with Pocky and the Shrimp crisps that were hard to get hold of over here. "Niara, could you get the teleport to work?" I nodded and reconfigured it to take us to the attic. Where Luke was in pain from his brain being over worked. "Luke?"

"Sarah Jane. Princess Niara. You came to say goodbye."

Why are you doing this?

"The collision of the moon and Earth will release the Xylok form the planet's crust, where it has been buried for 60 million years."

"You're going to kill billions."

He was still too busy explaining his origin story to listen. So long as he didn't repeat himself, I was getting annoyed that they kept doing that with Spiderman. "The Xylok are a crystalline life form. We crashed here as what you would call a meteorite. But buried beneath the Earth, our crystals have regrown and become strong again, but never the less, we remain trapped."

Made sense. You're part of the original crystal. You're still in contact with it?

"The release of the Xylok is my purpose." Mr Smith informed us, my tail holding the disk I needed to get close enough to use. "You gave me the chance to fulfil it. The chance to plan."

My mothers eyes were burning with anger. "All this time, you used us, Mr Smith. You're evil."

"No. Effective." And that. "We will do so much more than the human race. The universe is served better by our survival."

Here was where I knew I'd spent far too much time with my Godfather recently. I had philosophical monologues. Any race thinking it's better than another, that's evil Mr Smith. What have you done with Clyde?

At which point he was printed back out into 3D, physical form, making me want to hug him but I couldn't give away my secret weapon. "Am I not merciful?"

Cly himself was swaying slightly, completely confused and dazed. "What a dream." Sweetie...

Only the his gun, which I did not remember ever designing or building as a feature in his console, aimed at us. "You made all this possible, Sarah Jane, Niara. I owe you the mercy of quickly deaths." Good luck, I'd proven to be harder to kill than a twinkie.

"What about other people? Don't they deserve mercy?" Mum asked, stepping in front of me. "You've been here millions of years, you've seen us evolve. Don't we matter to you?"

"Only my purpose matters."

What was purpose without a family to help? You can change your purpose.

"No, I told your mother, Princess Niara, we all have a purpose." My psycho computer informed us. "Yours are to die so that the Xylok will live. After all, what life do you have, alone in your attic, without even a voice?"

Who needed a voice when you had wings? "Alone? You think that Niara and I are alone? You think my daughter and I are defenceless? Well, meet our dog! K9, protect Niara!"

"Affirmative, Mistress Sarah Jane." At which point my best friend beamed in, trading shots with Mr Smith. "Maximum defence mode. Take care, Mistresses and young Master." Then Mr Smith was down. "Safe to proceed, Mistress Niara. I have the unit covered." So I moved across the room to load the Armageddon Virus into Mr Smith, who stopped firing. "Do you wish for me to continue firing, Mistress?"

I shook my head, but gave him a motion to stand by as I ran to hug Cly. "A robot dog called K9?" My dog agreed. "I am dreaming, aren't I? Hey, Ni, it's OK."

Eventually I let go of him as Mr Smith started to speak, holding his hand tight. "What have you done to me, Niara? I feel. I feel strange."

"It's a computer virus, Mr Smith." Mum told him. "It's closing down your data banks. Niara tweaked it so you'd lose your memory."

"The speed of light is 36. No, 84. The Metrableen Cosmic Cluster is home to 68000 life forms. 67. I'm forgetting it all. Sarah Jane, help me."

Mum had no sympathy. "Without your memories, you have no purpose, Mr Smith. Without your purpose, you can't destroy the Earth. Put the moon back into it's original orbit before it's too late. And set Luke free, now."

"I've forgotten my purpose."

I stepped forward, signing something to either of them to say for me. "Your purpose is to save the Earth, Mr Smith. That is your new purpose. To serve Earth."

The message sunk in quickly. "Save the Earth. Yes, I have a purpose. Thank you, Sarah Jane, Niara."

His screen then went blank as everything got wiped for a moment, giving him time to reboot. "The unit is non-functional."

"Mum, Nia!" Luke smiled, stepping back as the machine switched off.

Cly ran to the window as we hugged my little brother, checking on the moon. "We did it. It worked. The moons going back."

K9 moved little closer, his tail wagging expectantly. "Is everything satisfactory, Mistresses?" We gave him an affirmative. Well, they did, I signed it. "Must return to the distortion, Mistresses. Without my immediate attention, black hole will turn critical in 0.42 time spatial increments."

"Go now. Good dog." Mum beamed at him, her arms around Luke as I kissed Clyde. "We'll see you again soon." He beamed away as Luke finally came back to his full senses and we had a group hug. "Oh, my babies..."

Alan and Maria got back a little while later, having driven mums car and we sat out in the back garden, watching our planets sky grow darker, night falling down around us like a comforting winter blanket. The stars were clearly on show as I sat between mum and Clyde, smiling at his sketching of me as I kept writing my story.

"There they go." Luke nodded, sat the other side of our mother as the Slitheen shot away in their ship, up so high above us.

Mum nodded, looking through the glasses I made her buy. I was sick of her complaining she couldn't see. "Back to Raxacoricofallapatorius. And good riddance."

Maria's dad wrapped an arm around his own daughter. "Will they be back?"

Oh, I expect so. I signed, Clyde pausing from his drawing to translate. Sooner or later.

"What about Mr Smith?"

Which made my boyfriend nod, kissing my hand. "Yeah, can we ever trust him again?"

"The Armageddon Code has wiped his circuits." Mum explained, telling our neighbour what I'd written down for her. One day. One day I would get my voice back, I knew I would. 2He'll reboot with a new purpose, to safeguard the world."

Only then Chrissie Jackson appeared, making me sigh at her arrival. I did not like this woman, she called me Kiara. "Mum!"

"We were saying, what a beautiful night." My brilliant, amazing mother told her with a smile. "Please, come and join us."

Mum saw amazing things out in space, and I saw wonderful, terrible ones in my Year. But strange things can happen wherever you are. Life on Earth, living in Ealing, it can be an adventure too though. In all the universe, with everything to put people off, from my wings and tail, to my temper and muteness, I never thought I'd find a boyfriend as wonderful as Clyde, or a brother as sweet as Luke.

And I don't think mum ever expected to find a family outside of me.

Buzz Buzz.

I looked down at the message on my phone, before sighing at the all caps, coded message. SKYLARK AT 0900 HQTL. MEET GREYHOUND 6.

Looks like the adventure was going to take a step up. Wonder why Martha needed me.


	15. Evil Luke

_Dear Diary,_ _Back in Armour, with the sword at my hip and I wasn't even sure I would need it. And the thing was, I was going to see him, and I knew what he would say, but I didn't care._ _This sword saved me, saved the world and having the cool metal of it in my hand calmed me. It stopped the way I was scared to close my eyes, in case the Toclafane found us, or if there was someone coming up behind us. My Armour, Sword and Martha were all I could depend on for so and while I was with them I felt safe. Felt at home._ _I just had to hope that the Doctor would understand why I couldn't close my eyes at night or relax without having it near._

I was bored already.

It was important enough that UNIT had written me a note to be excused from school, but all I was doing for the moment was pacing along the top of a wall, my tail and wings fluttering softly before I heard Martha on the radio attached to my jacket. "This is Doctor Jones. Operation Blue Sky is go, go, go. I repeat, this is a go."

A convoy of jeeps, trucks and squaddies went past me as I rolled my eyes. So many muscles, so few brain cells. "Greyhound 6 to Trap 1. B section, go, go, go. Search the ground floor. Grid pattern Delta. Skylark, please join my side, lovely."

Which was my queue to swoop down and fly along side the Doctor, Martha and his new companion, a lovely red head. She looked sassy, should be fun with Mace. "Nia!" He beamed at me, before remembering my age. "Wait, hang on-"

"Her mum knows, just isn't happy about it. UNIT's youngest ever recruit on behalf of the Lethbridge-Stewarts. Princess Niara Smith, codename Skylark." Martha smiled as we headed into the mobile base. "She's sort of the best of us, given her early start in the field."

The Doctor was still confused by all this as I hovered by the side of them, next to the red head. Awesome hair. "And you're qualified now. You're a proper Doctor."

I swapped to my phone, using the text to speak function I was forced to use as barely anyone used BSL in UNIT. Rude. "UNIT rushed it through, given her experience in the field. Here we go. We're establishing a field base on the site. They're dying to meet you."

"Wish I could say the same, my Little Wanderer." He sighed, giving me a small smile as we headed into the base.

"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir." Martha smiled at Mace as I finally touched ground. I was annoyed by his appearance, I'd wanted Osgood in charge, but it was thought to be offence instead of just research. "Thanks for letting Skylark and I take the lead. And this, is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace."

And, of course, there was a salute. "Sir."

The Doctor shared my reaction. I got a salute as well, my mum was a legend around here and I was definitely taking after her. Family tradition and all that. "Oh, don't salute."

"But it's an honour, sir. I've read all the files on you." Then he looked a little hesitant. I'd rather have bloody Malcolm right now, for crying out loud! He'd be a blathering idiot around him, but he was still far smarter. "Technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned, so we put you down as Skylark's mentor of sorts."

His companion stared at him. "What, you used to work for them? A group that employs children?"

"Fledgling. Nia's not a child, she's a Fledgling. But she's been through more than most 80 year olds." The Doctor explained, his hand going on my shoulder. "And it was a long time ago. Back in the '70's. Or was it the '80's?" Both. "But it was all a bit more homespun back then."

"Times have changed, sir."

"Yeah, that's enough of the sir. I won't even let Nia call me Uncle Doctor." Because that sounded stupid.

"Come on, though, Doctor." Martha tried as I avoided Mace's gaze and started to read again. He didn't like that I was supposed to be in charge, I was just too young. "You've seen it. You've been on board the Valiant." Don't mention that found thing to me. I almost died there, twice. "We've got massive funding from the United Nations, all in the name of HomeWorld security."

Mace nodded in agreement, trying to take my book, but I bared teeth and he backed off. No one took my books. He could have sticky fingers and damage the pages. "A modernt UNIT for the modern world. We even take on extra-terrestrials who've become citizens." Dude, I was born here. I wasn't extraterrestrial, I was just born of Stryx genealogy.

But the companion had a complaint now. I knew she'd be sassy, just what the Doctor needed. "What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers, in the streets, in broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there, except you hired a kid, who can't be older than 16." I would be 16 in three weeks now. People still thought I was going to be 15. "Donna, by the way. Donna Noble since you didn't ask I'll have a salute."

He looked at the Doctor, who was both smirking at that and reading over my shoulder, before he just nodded. Perfect, lets see if we could get Mace to turn purple again, it was amusing. "Ma'am." Mace saluted at her, before getting on with why I'd been taken out of exam prep. Not like I wasn't already smart enough. "Yesterday, 52 people died in identical circumstances, right across the world, in 11 different time zones."

That wasn't even the scary part. "5am UK, 6am France, 8am Moscow, 1pm China." My weird phone voice told them.

"You mean they died simultaneously."

"Exactly." OK, I gave up, I hated this thing. 52 deaths at the same moment, worldwide. They were poisoned, Martha and I checked the biopsies. No toxins. Whatever it is, left the system immediately.

My Godfather was the only one who actually understood me. "What have the cars got in common, love?"

Completely different makes.

"They're all fitted with ATMOS." Martha clarified. "And that is the ATMOS factory."

"What's ATMOS?"

Donna seemed to find this funny. "Oh, come on. Even I know that. Everyone's got ATMOS."

Except he didn't, so my fellow Veteran from the Year started to explain. Only Martha and I knew what each other had been through. Kyoto in Japan, and Penang in Malaysia... Oh, it was enough to make even a Dalek cry, which meant that the Master was the ultimate evil. "It stands for Atmospheric Omission System. Fit ATMOS in your car, it reduces CO2 emissions to 0."

"0?" He repeated, big brown eyes wide. "No carbon? None at all?"

"And you get a sat-nav and £20 in shopping vouchers if you introduce a friend." Not exactly relevant, Donna, but sure. "Bargain."

"And this is where they make it, Doctor. Shipping worldwide." Colonel Mace told him as I avoided nicking him with my tail by accident. Well, I say accident. "17 factories across the globe, but this is the central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth."

The Doctor looked dubious. "And you think ATMOS is alien?"

Mace didn't give a straight answer. I mean, I could tell it was, but they really had nothing to go on themselves. "It's our job to investigate that possibility. Doctor?" He showed us thought some plastic curtains to see ATMOS on a table. Mum didn't have it, but mostly because I'd already fixed the Figaro's engine. "And here it is, laid bare. ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car."

"You must have checked it, before it went on sale."

Martha nodded as I fluttered up to examine a security camera, my eyes turning blue as I looked at the feed relay. Long distance... "We did. We found nothing. That's why I thought we needed the experts."

My Godfather looked around as I came back down, keeping my feet a few inches above the ground. Mum didn't even know I could fly properly yet. "Really, who'd you get?" So I slapped him up the head. "Oh, right. Us, yes. Good."

The two proper UNIT members left then, leaving me with my fellow 'expert.' He was the dumbest expert ever. "Maybe they want to help." Donna suggested. "Get rid of pollution and stuff."

"Do you know how many cars there are on planet Earth?" The Doctor asked her as I took out my tools to take apart the small gizmo. These things were my life, I'd had them since I was 6 years old, the last thing that Great Auntie L. "800 000 000. If you could control them, you'd have 800 000 000 weapons." At which point he jerked in a way that made me jump, stepping back from me quickly before passing me a small gift box. "Niara! Got you something. Birthday and Christmas rolled into one."

I opened it and found a small pendant, luminescent blue in colour, and hanging on a short silver chain that contrasted my tan skin nicely. "Why?" Then froze as I heard my own thought in the real world, hearing my own voice for the first time in a while. "But that's impossible! I have no vocal chords."

"It's a thought projection charm." Donna told me, smiling as I played with the small crystal. "He said it was called Dysiria. We spent maybe 2 days trying to find one on this market. He was adamant that we weren't leaving until he found one."

My eyes looked up at him as a torrent of random, rambling nonsense could be heard before I calmed myself enough to make a coherent sentence. "But this means you are able to hear me. I don't need to rely on sign language, a white board or the phone."

He nodded at me with a smile, before helping me to put it on, my hair getting moved aside as he clipped it. "Is that a good sweet 16 present?"

"Well, I would more like for me to be able to have an honest relationship with Clyde by me telling him my real age and what happened during the year-" I stopped, my mouth hanging open as I realised that came out loud. "Shit. Um, please tell me all my thought about Clyde or, um, just in general, aren't going to come out without my consent?"

"You'll have to learn to keep some in the back of your head and others you want to say." The Doctor explained, smoothing my long curls out around my wings. "And why are you still carrying around this when everyone around you is already armed?"

I shrugged, touching the stone sat where my vocal chords once were. "We both know I'm stronger and faster all of them. I could take out far more than they could with guns. Mum only found out I had it last week. Almost decapitated a Slitheen which was cool. Thank you, Doctor. Really. This means so much to me."

The smile got bigger as I gave him a hug and I felt him kiss my hair. "It's my pleasure, Little Wanderer. Right, come on. Let's get this done so I can speak with your mother about how you're too young for UNIT."

Which made me roll my eyes, but I then resisted the urge to let my brain babble again, full of sass and sarcasm. I spent far too much time with my Clyde, we made each other worse. "Ionising nano-membrane, carbon dioxide converter." I thought, letting them hear me. "Which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level."

Mace had appeared back in the room during this time, Martha by his side. "We know all that, but's what's it's origin? Is it alien?"

He shook his head. "No. Decades ahead of it's time." Then looked uncomfortable at how close the loaded gun was to him. "Look, do you mind? Could you stand back a bit?"

"Have I done something wrong?"

"You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around me, alright?" He snapped as I sighed, rubbing my eyes. I kept imagining things, things that were coming true. Like I was writing a story in my head and it was writing it into reality. "I'm already annoyed that you're encouraging a 15 year old, who is already a natural trained huntress, to carry around a Katana that won her a war like it's a foam lightsaber."

Which made Mace leave as I raised my eyebrow. "Tetchy. You're the one who let me keep it."

"Well, it's true. Princess or not, you don't need a sword, Niara." Call me Princess one more fucking time... You were not my dad, you didn't get to act like it just because you saved my life. Only I forgot my thoughts were now hearable. "Nia, I know I am not your father, your mum has done an amazing job of raising you, but sometimes I think I think she's out of her depth. You haven't even told her about Elijah."

Crap. This crystal was going to take some getting used to.

"You know that she has abandonment issues. Telling her that could destroy her health." I replied, my eyes turning blue to look at him. "I won't turn my mother against me unless I have no choice. Get on with your work."

"You and Martha seem right at him."

"If anyone got me used to fighting, it's you." Martha informed him, flicking through my paperback. I'd gotten into Dean Koontz, more bizarre horror. "You got me the job and Sarah Jane into this, ending in Niara. Besides, look at me. Am I carrying a gun? Has Niara stopped arguing?"

The Doctor now looked sulky. "Suppose not. And yeah, she's still arguing."

I sighed again, focussing my mind to say the right thing. Well, think it. "It's alright for you. You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. So we've got to work from the inside, and by staying inside, maybe we stand a chance of making them better. Science leads, Doctor." Now he was beaming at me and my best friend. "We learned from the best."

At which point Donna, whom I'd forgotten had wandered off, came back holding a blue lever arch file. "Oi, you lot. All your storm troopers," Star Wars, "your sonics and your pretty wings. You're rubbish. Should've come with me."

"Why?" My Godfather asked with a small frown. "Where've you been?"

"Personnel. That's where the weird stuffs happening, in the paperwork." Wasn't that against Data Protection? No offence, but Donna was just a Civvy, she wasn't really on staff. "Because I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way round an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file."

The Doctor blinked at her. "Why, what's inside it?"

Not the right question. "Or, what's not inside it." I corrected, trying hard not to think of how Clyde had been very sneakily working on something for my birthday.

Donna beamed at us. "Sick days. There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here and no ones sck. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever. They don't get ill."

My boss had been eavesdropping. "That can't be right."

"You've been checking out the building. Should have been checking out the workforce."

"I can see why he likes you." I smirked, braiding my hair loosely, stopping the curls from falling in my face as usual. "You are good."

She nodded in agreement. "Supertemp."

Colonel Mace got right to business. "Dr Jones, set up a medical post. Start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through. Skylark, you shall stay with us, on the pretence that you are under me, though your credentials surpass my own."

I have him a salute. A one fingered one. "Sod off, you try doing GCSEs alongside Masters."

Martha took Donna with her before the Doctor, Mace and I started to head back to the mobile base, my Godfather again worried that I was gently hovering alongside them, while also reading. He seemed to think that I was going to fly into something, yet he didn't understand that I had never done that before, nor had any inclination to ever do so. "So, this ATMOS thing. Where'd it come from?"

"Luke Rattigan himself."

"And himself would be?"

"A douche bag egotistical bastard who hates me and my little brother because we beat him IQ wise."

They both looked at me. "That was outloud, Nia."

"Good, it was supposed to me." And I got his file up on a screen as we got back to the HQ. "So called child genius, but no where near my level, let alone Luke's. Invented the Fountain 6 search engine when he was 12 years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, educating students handpicked from all over the world. Funnily enough, he never went for me. 203 doesn't beat 269." I'd retaken the test, and now I was super high. Still a tiny tiny bit over Luke, which I liked.

There was a smile on the Doctor's face as he looked up from the screen. "A hothouse for geniuses. Wouldn't mind going there. I get lonely. What about you, Nia, Love?"

I now saluted him, before we headed to our next stop of the loading bay, full of lorries and cars, me sitting on the bonnet of a jeep as my Godfather got frustrated with my constant escort. "You are not coming with us. Niara and I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him." How about a sword?

"It's 10 miles outside London. How are you going to get there?" I put my hand up. "No, Skylark, you are not permitted to go into airspaces without checking with airports first." Boring.

"Well, then get us a jeep. I'll drive, not Nia, don't worry." Please no. No. We'd die. I'd heard stories of his driving from mum.

Mace raised an eyebrow. "According to the records you travel by TARDIS."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best to keep a super duper time machine away from the front lines. Niara, speaking of-"

I got the message and buried my emotions, hiding my wings back inside and my tail slipped away after. "Done."

"Then you do have weapons, mostly Skylark, but you choose to keep them hidden." Oh, shut up, Mace. I would get the can of you out of my bag, and then you could get pepper sprayed. "Jenkins." A grunt appeared by our side. "You will accompany the Doctor and Skylark and take orders from them." Brilliant, now I had a babysitter that I was kinda in charge of. "Any sign of trouble, you or Jenkins declare a Code Red. Good luck sir, Skylark."

Then saluted.

"Did, I effing told you to stop. You look like you're about to chop your own head off." Everyone was staring at me. "Oh, like you weren't thinking it, Doctor. Are we leaving or waiting for Donna?"

Mace rolled his eyes now as the Doctor smirked and put his arm around my shoulder. "You are getting a bit cheeky, you are." He told me as Mace became the much nicer Donna. "Oh, just in time. Come on, come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses, what more could you ask?"

Only she looked super nervous about what she was trying to say. "I'm not coming. I've been thinking. I'm sorry, I'm going home." We both stared at her. "I've got to."

I could see how upset this made him, so I took his hand as he tried to pretend he was alright. "Oh, if that what you want. I mean, it's a bit soon. I had so many places I had wanted to take you. The 15th Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the Lightning Skies of Cotter Palluni's world. Diamond Coral Reefs of Kataa Flo Ko." These places sounded incredible... "Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble, it's been brilliant. You've, you've saved my life in so many ways. You've-" He saw how Donna was looking at him, then the penny dropped. "You're just popping home for a visit, that's what you mean."

"You dumbo."

"And then you're coming back."

"Know what you are?" Donna asked him as I silently laughed, the crystal being unable to convey that across. "A great big outer space dunce." Jenkins had just reminded us that we actually did have somewhere to be. "What's more, you can give me a life. Come on." So we ended up squashed in with Donna, the Doctor and Jenkins as we started the drive. "Broken Moon of what?"

"I know, I know."

We dropped the woman off in Chiswick, really only a few miles up the road from us in Ealing, on the same side of the River and everything, before heading off to the Academy. "UNIT's been watching Rattigan Academy for ages. It's all a bit Hitler Youth." Ross, Jenkins, was explaining to us. "Exercise at dawn and classes and special diets." No one was taking away my coffee.

At which point the sat-nav made a noise, telling us to turn left, so the Doctor asked the obvious question. "Ross, one question. If UNIT think that ATMOS is dodgy..."

It now told us to go straight on as our new escort nodded knowingly. "How come we've got it in the jeeps? Yeah, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them till we can prove there's something wrong." We now got told to turn right. "Drives me around the bend." And now turned a bend as the Doctor beamed at him. "Time that perfectly."

"Yeah, yeah, you did. Come on, Little Wanderer." He smiled, helping me out of the jeep as we pulled up outside of a posh building with kids my sort of age running around the grounds. "Is it PE? I wouldn't mind a kick around, I've got me daps on."

"I suppose you're the Doctor?" The Semi-Genius Luke, Evil Luke if you will, asked, standing ready for us in a military stance. "Yours and Skylark's commanding officer phoned ahead."

"I think you and I both know I'm too smart to have a commanding officer, Ratty." I smiled sweetly, my voice just as emphatic as it had been before I lost it, only my verbal meltdowns were likely to be more frequent. It was pretty much certain my brain would think too fast and it would end in overlapping babble. "Have you?" He was just staring at me in my 'uniform', my Katana sheathed at my hip. "Oh, this is Ross. Say hi, Ross."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Good afternoon, sir."

My Godfather put a hand on my shoulder and I got the message. Behave or you get a time out and have to sit in the car that was likely to kill me. "Lets have a look, then. I can smell genius!" We all looked at him. "In a good way."

Evil Luke showed us into their labs, where I walked around to look at everything. And piss him off further by just knowing what all the gizmos were. My area of expertise, besides fiction, was Engineering, meaning I'd already made most of these. I mean, I'd already built a Fallout Shelter for the inevitable nuclear war. "Single molecule fabric, I packed a circus tent into a thimble. Gravity simulators. Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel construction. This is all things to be used in a move to another planet."

"If only that was possible."

Ugh, no, speak correctly, please. "If only that were possible. It's a conditional clause, moron."

"Niara." The doctor warned lowly. "Watch it." Please, the only reason you were able to tell me what to do was because you were my family No one else even tried to control me at UNIT anymore.

Evil Luke wasn't cracking yet, but he was pissed. "I think you'd better come with me." So now we were ushered along into a recreation room, some weird contraption in the corner. Teleport or communications relay. Chances were, it was linked to that long ranged transmitter in the camera. "You're smarter than the the usual UNIT grunts, I'll give you that. Obviously we know Niara, codenamed Skylark, is able to run rings around us all." Dude, I'd fly them.

Only now I saw the Doctor getting annoyed as well. I'd tried to be nice to Luke the first time I'd met him, he just wasn't overly nice back. "He called you a grunt. Don't call Ross a grunt. He's nice. We like Ross. Look at this place."

"What exactly do you want?"

"I was just thinking. What a responsible 18 year old." My Godfather commented. "Inventing 0 carbon cars? Saving the world."

He seemed to think there wasn't a giant BUT coming. "Takes a man with vision."

Smug bastard. "Blinkered vision. You're treating a symptom of the disease, not the disease itself because more people will start driving and therefore the oil will run out faster. ATMOS could make things worse." His eyes were fuming now, and I saw that he wanted to hit me for being smarter than him and not getting a tiny thing wrong for him to pick apart. "Not easy, being clever, I know. Imagine my world, where even the smart people hate me. We connect things, random things, and wonder why no one else can see them. Why is the rest of the world so slow? And you're all on your own."

"Yeah."

The Doctor now took over, going to the giant machine I had seen upon first entering the room, but still talking about the ATMOS. "But not with this. Because there's no way you invented this thing single handed because not even my Niara could." Give me a few years. "I mean, it might be Earth technology, but that's like finding a mobile phone in the middle ages." Now he nodded to the device. "It's like finding this in someone's front room. Albeit it's a very big front room." Ross was confused as I went over to him, looking at some buttons. "Yeah, just looks like a thing, doesn't it? People don't question things. They just say, oh, it's a thing."

"Leave it alone."

Nah, that was boring. "I'm good. I know how to make connections. And this, to me, an intellectual, looks like a teleport pod." And pressed the button so we beamed out onto a ship. Surrounded by armed aliens that looked like ones mum had shown me. The Sontarans. "Bugger."

Now they all turned to look at us as I quickly drew my sword, my tail coming loose. "We have intruders."

"How did they get in?" The Doctor asked, his hand over mine carefully on the button to take us back. "In tru da window?" Wow... "Bye bye!" Then pressed down on my hand so the button clicked us back to Evil Luke's before we ran out. "Ross, get out! Luke, you've got to come with us." Dude, he was in on it, it was obvious. But one of them came through before I could zap it so I held up my sword.

"Sontaran!" I thought loudly at them, this crystal already a hard birthday present for my mum to beat. All I actually wanted was more books and some new tools. "That's your name, isn't it? You're a Sontaran, and I'm Skylark, a Stryx. Fascinating, isn't it? Worth keeping me alive, right?"

Unfortunately Ross was just trying his military approach. "I order you to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce." Was that what UNIT stood for? I thought it was Unintelligent Ignorant Tools.

"Cordaline signal. You can hear it." I shrugged, knowing that I was the only armed one here beside him. "Tinny noise, makes everything sound a slightly higher pitch. Copper excitation stopping the bullets."

"How do you know so much?" Now the Sontaran looked at Evil Luke. Give me my Luke, Brother Luke, any day. My brother refused to kill a wasp even after it stung him for no reason at all. "Who is this Fledgling Stryx?"

He shrugged no. No, naughty, shrugging was my thing. "Her name is Niara Smith. The other man did not give his name, but they're possible related." Sort of.

The Doctor moved in front of me as I took my wings out, not caring any longer. I looked forward to the day I could have them out without fear of being thought of as a freak. "But this isn't typical Sontaran behaviour, is it? Hiding? Using teenagers, stopping bullets. A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity. Shame on you."

"You dishonour me, sir."

And what? Oh, I spent far too much time with Clyde... "Yeah, the show yourself."

Which he took as a way to intimidate us. "I will look into my enemy's eyes!"

So he removed his helmet, getting an exclamation of shock from Ross, but the Doctor didn't hesitate. "And your name?"

"General Staal, of the 10th Sontaran Fleet. Staal the Undefeated."

He made a face. "Oh, that's not a very good nickname. What f you get defeated? Staal the Not Quite So Undefeated Anymore But Never Mind?"

"He's like a potato." Ross was saying, well and truly out of his depth. "A baked potato. A talking baked potato."

"Now, Ross, don't be rude. You look like a pink weasel to him and Niara, well. You'd be an oversized insect." Thank you oh so much for that Godfather. Why the hell was he now holding a squash ball and racket? "The Sontarans are the finest soldiers in the galaxy, dedicated to a life of warfare. A clone race, grown in batches of millions with only one weakness."

Staal got a little pissed at that. "Sontarans have no weakness."

"No, its a good weakness."

Evil Luke was staring at him in shock. "Aren't you meant to be clever? Only an idiot would provoke him."

The Doctor wasn't listening to anything but his own voice by this point. "No, but the Sontarans are fed by a probic vet in the back of their neck. That's their weak spot. Which means, they always have to face their enemies in battle. Isn't that brilliant? They can never turn their backs."

We stare into the face of death."

"Yeah? Well, stare at this." And smashed the ball into a rebound that cause it to hit Staals vent so hard he just dropped in pain. "Run!"

Or fly, whichever for me was easier as I dragged my Godfather with me We were son driving back off in the jeep, my radio held up for me to try and get in contact with base. I could actually use my radio, that was weird. "Skylark to Trap 1. Repeat, can you hear me? Martha? Skylark to Greyhound 6, can you hear me?" Then I snarled and threw it down next to me. "No good. It's the Sontarans. If they can trace that, they can definitely isolate the ATMOS, Doctor."

It told us to go left, so he took my hand and looked at Ross, our driver. "Try going right."

"It said left."

"I know, so go right."

Only the steering wheel was stationary in his hand, no matter how hard he pulled. "I've got no control. It's driving itself., it won't stop." So my Godfather tried the sonic as I tried the doors.

Locked.

"No, no, no, no,." I gabbled, my heart pounding as I realised I was trapped in a little metal box. I could not be trapped. "Doctor, the doors are locked!"

"Ah, it's deadlocked, I can't stop it!" He growled to himself, before pulling me over the seats and hugging me carefully. "Breathe, Little Wanderer. Come one, you're strong. You defeated the Master, Nia, this is just a locked car." Ross was trying to take it apart now as I closed my eyes, just picturing myself at home with mum, Clyde and Luke, watching TV. This wasn't real, this wasn't real, this was just a nightmare. "The sat-navs just a box, wired through the whole car."

It was so hard to pretend when I could only hear the sound of the approaching River Thames. "Doctor, why can I hear the fucking river?!"

My Godfather chose to ignore me. Rude. "ATMOS, are you programmed to contradict my orders?" It agreed. "Anything I say, you'll ignore it?"

It confirmed again as I got impatient, wanting out. "The drive into the mother trucking river! I order you to keep the doors locked!"

So the jeep stopped dead at the edge of the river the doors unlocking as I moved at unnatural speed out onto the grass and away from the car of death. The Doctor and Ross followed, taking cover as they thought it was about to blow, before it just fizzed with a little bit of smoke. "Oh, was that it?"

This ended in us having to walk to Chiswick, my wings and tail covered by the Doctor's giant coat, before we found Donna's house. And she stared at us as we just made a beeline for her car. "You would not believe the day we're having."

As we feared, even that car had ATMOS, so Ross nodded. "I'll requisition us a vehicle."

"Anything without ATMOS." The Doctor informed him. "And don't point your gun at people."

"Is it him? Is it him? Is it the Doctor?" Some old bloke asked, coming at speed out of the house as I checked my phone, seeing a message from Cly. R U OK? Swear I felt U nxt 2 me. xx What? "Ah, it's you!"

"Who?" Then the Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Oh, it's you."

Donna stared at the pair of them. "What, have you met before?"

Her grandfather nodded. "Yeah, Christmas Eve. He disappeared right in front of me. And everyone knows her, she's that genius girl Saxon abducted, Niara Smith." Please tell me that was not going to be what I was remembered for, being the girl the psycho PM kidnapped.

"And you never said?"

"Well, you never said." He countered as I rolled my eyes, examining ATMOS under a whole new light now I knew roughly where the technology came from. "Wilf, sir, Little Miss. Wilfred Mott. You must be a couple for those aliens."

Again, I rolled my eyes. "What gives it away, the tail or the wings? Hi, Wilfred. Donna, is Martha there yet?"

She shook her head. "She's not answering. What is it, Sontorans?"

"Sontarans." My Godfather correctd. "But there's got to be more to it. They can't just be remote controlling cars. That's not enough. Is anyone answering?"

"Hold on." Then seemed to get through to someone. "Martha." Oh, thank God. If I lost her... I'd just rage. "Hold on, he's here."

So the phone was passed to the Doctor, who got right to business. "Martha, tell Colonel Mace it;s the Sontarans. They're in the files. Code Red, Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory, tell them not to start shooting. UNIT will get massacred. Skylark and I will get back as soon as we can. You got that?"

My best friend seemed to agree as I lifted the bonnet, using the lipstick to start fixing the engine, taking it apart. "But you tried sonicking it before. You didn't find anything."

"Yeah, but now we know it's Sontaran, I know what we're looking for. Mum told me stories of her and Harry fighting them."

Wilfred was now changing the subject as I practically climbed inside to reach the engine, not caring about the fact my braid was getting covered in oil. "The thing is, Doctor, that Donna is my only grandchild. You gotta promise me you're going to take care of her."

"She takes care of me. Niara, will you watch your tail please?"

Huh? Oh, right, yes. Sharp thing waving in the air. "Sorry, sorry!"

"Oh, yeah, that's my Donna. Yeah, she was always bossing us round when she was tiny. The Little General we used to call her." The woman herself was now getting embarrassed. "And some of the boys she used to turn up with. Different one every week. Here, who was that one with the nail varnish?"

Donna sighed loudly. "Matthew Richards. He lives in Kilburn now. With a man."

Then I jumped and fell backwards out of the engine as spikes shot out of the ATMOS. The Doctor caught me before I hit the ground before we both peered at them. It's a temporal pocket. I knew there was something else in there It's hidden, just a second out of sync with real time. Nice work, Nia, Love."

"But what's it hiding?"

At which point another woman came out of the house, blonde and far too up herself. "I don't know, men and their cars. Sometimes I think if I was a car." Then recognised my Godfather as well. "Oh, it's you. Doctor what was it?"

"Yeah, that's me." Sort of. I knew his name. Jal. Chances were, he didn't know I'd heard him either.

"What, have you met him as well?"

She looked at the older man. "Dad, it's the man from the wedding. When you were laid up with Spanish Fly. I'm warning you, last time that man turned up, it was a disaster." Now she saw my tail, the only part of my alien heritage on show. "What the-"

Donna's mother didn't get a chance to finish as I accidentally tripped something, gas pouring out of the car and it made me feel dizzy and lightheaded. "Get back!" And managed to turn it back off, fumbling about to find my inhaler. "That'll stop it."

Only the engine went bang. "I told you! He's blown up the car!" Actually, love, that was me. "Who is he, anyway? What kind of Doctor brings out his kid to blow up cars?" Why did they always think he was my dad?

"Oh, not now, mum."

"Oh, should I made an appointment?" Times like now, I was really thankful for my mum.

But she headed back inside as I looked closer at the engines, feeling sick after just a breath and my inhaler barely helped. "That wasn't just exhaust fumes, some sort of gas. Artificial gas." Wilfred was going on about aliens again.

His granddaughter, on the other hand, was doing very well. "But if it's poisonous, then they've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth."

"It's not safe." Wilfred informed us, getting into the car before I could stop him. "I'm going to get it off the street."

The door locked behind him though, the thick smoke pouring from the exhaust making me cough and splutter again. "Hold on! Turn it off. Granddad, get out of there!"

"I can't! It's locked! It's them aliens again!" Oh, Lord, give me strength to deal with conspiracy theorists.

Mrs Noble came back out then, just staring at her father in the car. "What's he doing? What's she done?" Oh, thanks. Blame the one currently seeing three of you. Was I high or slowly drowning on land?

"They've activated it!"

"There's gas inside the car!" Donna cried, trying to break the car door open. "He's going to choke! Doctor!"

Ignoring the pain in my lungs, I started to punch at the glass, my bones shattering but I pushed the pain aside to crack the glass but it refused to shatter. "It won't open! It's the whole world!"

My head started to feel top heavy as my vision pulsed a little, Wilfred starting to pass out himself. How could we win if we couldn't even breathe?


	16. Harder And Harder To Breathe

The next thing I remember as I struggled to breathe was Sylvia Noble appearing, with an axe, breaking the windscreen of the car. "Well don't just stand there. Get him out!"

Donna and the Doctor pulled him out to safety, before the ginger stared at her mother in shock. "I can't believe you've got an axe."

"Burglars." Wow.

"Get inside the house. Just try and close off the doors and windows." The Doctor informed them as Ross appeared with a black cab. "Donna, you coming?"

She agreed as her mum looked terrified. Knew that feeling, mum must have been paralysed with fear. "Donna, don't go. Look what happens every time that Doctor appears. Stay with us, please."

Wilfred, however, was on our side as I breathed shallowly next to my Godfather, not letting on that my asthma was exacerbated by the smog, so it was very bad because it had already gotten worse by laser roasting my lungs. "You go, my darling. Don't listen to her. You go with the Doctor and his Niara. That's my girl."

Then she was in next to me and we were off towards the factory again. By which point the whole world was choking. "Ross, look after yourself." The Doctor told him, his arm resting on my shoulders as usual. I was not that small! "Get inside the building."

"Will do. Greyhound 40 to Trap 1. I have just returned the Doctor and Skylark to base safe and sound. Over."

As he was running off, I started to cough again, my knees buckling as the Doctor quickly moved to hold me instead. "Nia! Niara! Hey, hey, hey, breathe slowly, it's alright. You're fine. Where's the inhaler? Give it a puff." I found it and took a large puff, officially feeling as though I was Osgood. "That's it. Good old puff, Love."

I kept my eyes closed as I fumbled for words to think to them through my crystal, the burble of words finally slowing to something they could understand. "The air. It's affecting me more. Why?"

"You have lung damage on your human side, Nia. Plus, this stuff is probably toxic to Stryx." He replied, lifting me upright. "It's not so bad for me. Go on, get inside the TARDIS, both of you." Then realised something as Donna started to support me instead. "Oh, I've never given you a key." And threw her one. Mine was at home, Clyde hadn't done his science homework. "Keep that. Go on, that's yours. Quite a big moment, really."

"Yeah, maybe we can get sentimental after the world and Nia have finished choking to death."

He nodded a little, looking worried about me. Why? "Good idea."

Now he was going the opposite direction. "Where are you going?"

"To stop a war. Keep breathing, Little Wanderer."

So he ran off as Donna and I let ourselves into the TARDIS, the beautiful blue box welcoming me back as she always did. "Oh, last time I was in this room... I didn't think I'd ever stop crying."

Donna frowned at me as I took a deep puff of my inhaler again before fluttering up to the highest point I could sit at, my long hair covering my face. "What do you mean? Was it because you lost your voice?"

"Partly. But also because I'd finally come to terms with everything I'd spent a year doing. I spent a year fighting for my life, for the lives of everyone, even yours. I fought for the Goddamn universe. And... It left marks. There should be 1001 scars across my body, from head to toe, wings to tail, but you can't see them. No one can, because they're not there." I point to my throat. "On camera, the Master, Harold Saxon, started to slit my throat, but you can't see even a scar." Now my forearm. "Broken through the skin when one of the sphere's whacked me out of the air. I tied it back together in Moscow with a vodka soaked rag. Healed fully in two weeks and there's nothing left."

Now I lifted up the shirt to show the still healing mess of fibrous tissue where I'd been shot with a laser. "This is how I lost my vocal chords and lost the ability to breathe without pain. One month ago and the only reason it didn't heal is because some girls keep kicking it. War will always leave marks you can't see, and I have more than most."

"I'm so sorry. I can' imagine what you've been through. Your fella, he must be really good at helping you through it, huh?" I frowned at her, wondering how she'd guessed about Clyde when I'd not properly told the Doctor we were together. "Come on, it's obvious, sweetheart. What's his name?"

"Clyde. Cly is... He's different to most others. He didn't freak when he found out I was an alien, or just ignore me when I lost my voice. He's the first boy I've ever actually paid attention to myself." I sighed, my hair falling to the side as I looked at my Godfather's best friend, her own red hair straight around her face. "It's hard to explain, really."

Donna just smiled and went to say something more before the entire TARDIS shook, throwing me out of my perch so I had to quickly catch myself with my wings. "Nia? Are you alright?" I just nodded, trying to not let my thoughts of constant cuss words get projected. "What the hell was that?"

Taking out my Katana, just in case, I walked slowly towards the door, opening it slowly before shutting it a lot faster. Not even I could do that. "We've been kidnapped. Something tells me the Doctor wants us up here, so lets just get geared up and wait to be told mission parameters."

Which just left me to stand there, taking slow, deep breaths in attempt to just not need my inhaler until I absolutely had to. It was nearly empty and something told me I wouldn't be able to nip to the pharmacy any time soon. But then the scanner crackled to life and we both jumped to our feet. "Calling the Sontaran Command Ship, this is the Doctor.

"Doctor, we're here." Donna tried, but I knew we were just seeing the conversation. "Can you hear me?"

We ended up with a split screen, seeing Staal on one side and my Godfather on the other. "Doctor. Breathing your last? The Stryx must already be gone."

Mace said something in the background, making me silently laugh a little before he kept going. "Yeah, loving the diplomacy, thanks. So, tell me, General Staal, since when did you lot become cowards."

"How dare you?" Mace shot something else back in sarcasm, but Staal was still talking. "Doctor, you impugn my honour."

"Yeah, I'm really glad you didn't say belittle, because then I'd have a field day. And imagine if Skylark was still here." I'd be on that joke so fast their heads would spin. "But poison gas? That's the weapon of a coward and you know it. Staal, you could blast this planet out of the sky and yet you're sitting above watching it die. Where's the fight in that? Where's the honour? Or are you lot planning something else because this isn't normal Sontaran warfare. What are you lot up to?"

The Sontaran seemed amused by everything he was being asked. "A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces."

That made sense to Jal. Our shared meaning of Wanderers... "Ah, the wars not going so well then. Losing, are we?" Mace asked a question before he looked at him. "The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans. It's been raging, far out in the stars, for 50 000 years. 50 000 years of bloodshed, and for what?"

"For Victory. Sontar-ha."

And along came some chanting, the Doctor rolling his eyes before changing channels. So we were now watching a cartoon. "Is he always like this?"

"From what I've seen, Donna, this is my Godfather at his best." I replied, rubbing my throat absently, remembering the searing hot pain. "He'll get what he needs out of them."

She sighed, but nodded and a second later we were back watching the conversation. "Finished."

"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you see our prize. Behold. We are the first Sontarans in history to capture a TARDIS."

"Well, as prizes go, that's Noble." Brilliant, he was finally telling our job. "As they say in Latin. Donna nobis pacem." Donna only now caught up. "Did you never wonder about it's design? It contains a phone. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic. Like if only we could communicate, you and I, no matter how far away you go on your little Wanders." This was how he told me to phone him, brilliant.

"All you have communicated is your distress, Doctor."

He pretended to be angry when he'd probably wanted us stuck up here to do something. "Big mistake though, showing it to me. Because I'v got remote control." No you didn't. You didn't have the guts to actually tell her what to do, she ran your life.

But the Sontarans weren't aware of that and turned off the broadcast. "OK, phone..." I thought aloud, literally, before staring at it for a moment. "Well, this is going well. He doesn't even have a number and that Martha wasn't the real Martha so I can't phone her. What do we do?"

She didn't know so I just lay down up on one of the beds, relaxing to my headphones while I text mum. "I'm fine, mother. Make sure Mr Smith is keeping you safe, and text Cly to seal his house as well."

"Niara, we are the ones worried about you. Where are you and when are UNIT bringing you home?"

"I'm in the TARDIS, 100% safe." Almost, you could get easily lost here. "Just keep yourselves safe, please. I'll call you when I can. x"

At which point my headphones stopped playing Paramore and I was hearing the Doctor instead, Donna's phone ringing as well. Smooth. "What's happened?" She asked as I sighed, rubbing my throat absently, my chest tightening. "Where are you?"

"Still on Earth." Of course. The TARDIS was gone, he was stuck without it. "But don't worry, I've got my secret weapons."

"What's what?"

I pointed to the both of us at the same time the Doctor replied. "You two, as my Niara probably just gestured."

This wasn't helping Donna though. "Oh, somehow that's not making me happy. Can't you just zap us down to Earth with that remote thing?"

Which he realised he should have told her about sooner. "Yeah, I haven't got a remote, though I really should. I need you both on that ship and since Nia can't be here, it's good that she is with you. Silent working is her strong suit. It's why I made them move the TARDIS. I'm sorry, but you've both got to go outside."

"But there's Sonteruns out there."

"Sontarans." We both corrected, before he went on to explain. "But they'll all be on battle stations right now. They don't exactly walk about having coffee." Mmm, I wanted coffee now... "I can talk you through it."

She was still scared as I just folded my wings down, ready for moving quickly without being seen. This was easy, just needed a frying pan, really. "But what if they find us?"

He sighed, sounding scared himself. Don't tell me, Mace was going nuclear and was going to blow up the ship. Wouldn't work, they'd have thought about that and put in a failsafe. "I know and I wouldn't ask but there's nothing else I do. The whole planet is choking, Donna. The second Niara steps out of the TARDIS on Earth right now, she'd have an attack so bad her inhaler would do nothing."

Donna glanced at me for a moment before closing her eyes. "What do you need us to do?"

"The Sontarans are inside the factory, which means they've got a teleport link with the ship, but they'll have deadlocked it. I need both of you to reopen the link."

"But I can't even mend a fuse."

I guessed this was where I came in. "Donna stop talking about yourself like this. You can do it, Niara will be with you every step of the way." Easy. "I promise."

By now I was at the door with her, the both of us peeking our heads out of the door before quickly coming back. "There's a Sonterun. Sontaran."

"Did he see either of you?"

"No, he's got his back to us."

"Nia?" Taking out my blade, I rushed out and whacked the vent on the back of his neck. "Did she do it?"

Donna gave me a high five. "Back of the neck."

There was more of a smile in his voice now, trusting that we were going to be OK. "Now then, you've got to find the external junction feed to the teleport." OK, now what was that when it was at home? "A circular panel on the wall, big symbol on the front. Like a, like a letter T with a horizontal line through it. Or, or two F's back to back."

"Oh." Would be good if there was a way out. "Well, there's a door."

"Should be a switch by the side."

To which I quickly did a Vulcan 'Live Long and Prosper' sign and pressed it into the gap, making her smile at me. "We're through."

My Godfather was definitely beaming now. "Oh, you are brilliant, you are."

Donna was feeling proud too, just for the fact that she got herself out of the TARDIS. Fair enough, she was far more breakable than I was, and far less trained to fight. "Shut up. Right. T with a line through it."

"Got to go. Keep the line open, girls."

"Girls?" Donna questioned as he disappeared off. "I look older than him."

I just silently laughed as we kept walking, before ducking out of sight as Sontarans marched past. Well, this is going well. I signed at Donna, who just looked at me before I sighed and got out my emergency whiteboard. NEVER MIND. I CAN'T RISK THE STONE IN CASE I ACCIDENTALLY THINK ALOUD. LETS KEEP MOVING.

Donna nodded in agreement and we started to walk again, my sensitive, elfin ears coming in handy when Sontarans were coming our way. At which point we found what we needed and called the Doctor. "Oh, blimey, I'm busy. Got it?"

"Yes, now hurry up."

"Take off the covering." Done. "all the blue switches inside, flick them up like a fuse box and that should get the teleport working."

So I sighed and put the crystal on, not able to write and work at the same time. "It's times like now that I wish I wasn't colour blind."

"You what?!"

I laughed now, flicking a row of blue switches up in one. "I was joking!" And turned as I heard Sontarans coming, my tail uncoiling to flick the rest. "Bugger. Doctor, it's Nia. Blue switches done but now they've found us and I can't fight all of them."

"Now!" And we were zapped onto Earth, just in time. "Nia, put that on!" Though he didn't give me a choice and I was forced into a gas mask that didn't help my fear of tight spaces, but at least I was safely breathing.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?"

Donna was hugging him but he shoved her off in favour of bringing down the TARDIS, then hugged me and checked me over. Well, I was the youngest here and most in his care. "Right now. Martha, you coming?"

"What about this nuclear launch thing?"

I shrugged, guessing they'd hacked NATO. Been there, done that. "Just keep pressing N. Missiles bad, probs best to keep them on the ground."

The ginger was staring in awe at the dead body. I'd been ignoring it, it made life far simpler. "There's two of them."

"Yeah, long story." Probably. "Here we go. The old team, back together. Well, the new team."

We all now stood with him in the teleport, Donna not looking happy. "We are not going back on that ship."

He shook his head. "No, no, no. No." Why so many nos? We'd have gotten the point with one! "I needed to get the teleport working so that we could get to..." Queue a teleport to just outside London. "Here. The Rattigan Academy, owned by-"

Now a gun was pointed at us by the kid himself. "Don't tell anyone what I did. It wasn't my fault, the Sontarans lied to me, they-"

At speed, I moved to shove him against the wall, my Katana held against his throat. "No more guns. Not today. Or your head gets removed from your neck." Then took his gun and pulled it apart. "Doctor, are making what I think we're making?"

He nodded, already getting to work so I started to help, taking the gas mask back off to be able to see. Who needed to breathe? Breathing was for pussies. And the Doctor felt like he needed to explain. "That's why the Sontarans needed to stop the missiles. They were holding back. Because caesofine gas is volatile, as well as toxic to the Stryx." Good to know. "That's why they had to use you to stop the nuclear attack. Ground to air engagement could spark off the whole thing."

"What, like set fire to the the atmosphere?"

"Yeah." I agreed, able to talk, well, think, and not even look at them as I kept going with the circuitry. "They'd need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all that time we had Ratboy, Evil Luke, here in his dream factory. Planning a little trip were we?"

He just looked at the floor, sullenly. "They promise me a new world."

My Godfather just looked at him. "You were building equipment, ready to terraform El Mondo Luko. So that humans could live there and breathe the air with this. An atmospheric converter."

Now I'd finished what I was doing and it was ready so we ran outside. There was nothing in the distance but the fog. Mum, Luke, Cly and Maria... So far away. "That's London. You can't even see it. My family's in there."

"Doctor, Nia, hold on." Martha interrupted, just as I went to hit the button. "You said the atmosphere would ignite."

"And? The Stryx are the origins of the Phoenix." I smiled, then hit the button, ignoring the urge to cough as the fireball worked its way into the upper atmosphere. The Doctor was praying as it spread around the planet, wanting it to work. Which, of course, it did. "Thank you, thank you, I take payment in Waterstones vouchers."

"They're both genius'."

"Just brilliant."

The Doctor didn't agree just yet. "Now we're in trouble." And carried the atmospheric converter into the teleport, before looking at all of us. "Right. So, Donna, thank you for everything. Martha, you too. Oh, so many times. Luke, do something clever with your life. Niara... Oh, my Little Wanderer, be good, and if you can't be good, at the very least be careful and look after your mum."

No. No, please. "You're saying goodbye."

"Sontarans are never defeated, your mum would have told you that, Nia." She told me all about Linx, yeah. "They'll be getting ready for war. And, well I've recallibrated this this for Sontaran air, so-"

Martha shook her head in disbelief. "You're going to ignite them."

I should be doing this, I had the best chance at surviving. "You'll kill yourself. Just sent it up on its own on a timer. They don't fear death, you'll kill yourself for nothing."

"I can't, Niara. I've got to give them a chance."

Then teleported out before we could stop him, making Martha grab me tight and hug me to stop me from going after. Only a few minutes later, Luke did instead, rigging the machine to swap my Godfather for him and the ship exploded just as he did. "Nia..." He breathed as I just hugged him, holding me just the same as my wings unfurled. "It's OK. I'm OK, I'm fine. I promise, Nia, I'm fine."

Refusing to let go, he just kept hugging me until UNIT turned up to start taking things away. Which meant my job was done and they had been made to take me home the moment they no longer needed me. So I had to say goodbye. "We keep meeting like this, Niara. Next time, send me a text or something and we can go for a coffee. I want to meet this boyfriend of yours, have a look at his future prospects."

"Are you getting all protective?" I laughed, still finding it strange that through all this, I could communicate without vocal chords. I wouldn't get to use it at school, I was still going to be an easy target, but it would be nice to talk to Clyde. "Are you forgetting this is a boy who died for me during the Paradox?

"And?" Then he laughed as well, giving me another hug as he kissed my hair. "Be safe, Little Wanderer, and look after yourself. Please."

I nodded and gave him a small salute. "Sir, yes, sir, Big Wanderer. See you soon, Doctor."

Then I got into the car taking me home, waving to the universe of opportunities that awaited me if I stayed. Oh well, I had a family's worth back home and that could be just as exciting.


	17. Birthday Surprise

_Dear Diary,_ _16\. I was about to turn 16 yet no one_ _besides mum and UNIT knew._ _My boyfriend was just excited for me to be able to buy 15 films for the 4 of us to watch around his or Maria's, Luke didn't understand Birthdays and Maria wanted us to go shopping for it, as January Sales would have started. All I wanted to do was curl up and ignore it_ _Because to them I was going to be 15, not understanding that I already was and that I had lost a year of my life in a War that took my sanity, my will to sleep, and my ability to even cry out over the terrors that plagued me even when I was awake. Just let me hit pause on myself for a year, so I can be at the same point as everyone else._ _Wishful thinking, eh?_

Everyone had been in awe of my crystal when I got dropped off by UNIT. Mum had right away said that it was only for use in the house or garden, unless I was doing work with UNIT, before hugging me so tight that I had to use my inhaler afterward. It was a regular occurrence that I couldn't breathe these days, but she was so happy that I could communicate without too much hassle.

The school holidays had started by the time I'd returned from fighting Sontarans, so Clyde, Maria, Luke and I just messed around together, watching crappy Christmas films and getting last minute presents for each other. When the day came, I gave mum a charm I'd found in China, collected from my time in Hell, designed to keep away evil spirits and bring luck. Luke got a book I took from the TARDIS, with permission this time, on the Universal Theory by some guy called Omega and a battery that never died for his torch.

Maria got a swiss army knife with a few added gadgets, including a lockpick, a USB and a portable charger. Then Clyde. Clyde I hand carved his own wooden katana, an exact replica of my own, which the Master got skewered with, only it had none of the sharp edges that mum worried about with mine. I was a 15 year old with a lethal, war winning weapon.

As per usual, I didn't get anything less than 40 ew books, given that I went through them so fast, and several new types of tool for making things. I enjoyed engineering.

But after Christmas came the long, long week that lead up to New Year. Full of finishing off the Quality Street, though we always left the toffees and sent them to Uncle Alistair, slowly watching all the naff telly we'd recorded so we could delete it at last, before December 31st happened.

New Years Eve. And the Eve of my 16th Birthday.

I didn't want to turn 16. At all. It was a reminder that I'd lost a year, that I was even more different than everyone else. More than just my wings, or my tail, my intellect or my lack of voice. It was a sign that I had been through things that no one else had. There was no way for me to talk to anyone about it either.

Mum, she was always there, always accepting of every single thing that I did, but I didn't want to push that too far, so far that she didn't see me as her daughter any more. The there was Maria and Luke, my brother and his best friend. The two of them were friends, but Luke wouldn't understand properly, and Maria wouldn't probably fear me a little.

And Clyde? I didn't want to ever push him away and lose the trust and faith he had in me by telling him what I did. What I had to do so Martha and I survived the Year, to get back home to our families. I didn't want to tell him that I'd watched him die trying to save me.

So it was safe to say that my 16th Birthday was going to be one that I did not, under any circumstances, leave my room for. Well, besides going to the loo, but I had enough snacks to last me a lifetime in my room, given that I ate every other day, if that.

When December 31st arrived, mum was busy with Clyde, Luke and Maria, mostly because Chrissie had said her daughter could bring her friends to her New Years party with Ivan. I was invited, but a night of being surrounded by too loud music and strangers, over a night of curling up on my window seat to watch the fireworks? I knew my answer right away.

But Luke and Clyde were still going, so I kissed my boyfriend goodbye at about 7pm and headed up into my room. Where mum had just finished setting up her TV on my desk, DVDs on my shelf to be watched. Including Hogfather, Love Actually, Mean Girls, 10 Things I hate About You and more of our favourites. "WE missed our night together before Christmas, what with you readjusting and then fighting off those Sontarans."

I just hugged her, smiling at her idea. So we laid down in my bed together, getting through all of Hogfather and most of the way through Mean Girls, before she fell asleep. I'd been expecting it, she'd barely slept since I'd gone missing, so I carefully turned off the film and moved to the windowsill, my book in hand as I just let my mind wander off to the stars.

Martha had ended up being dragged off when the TARDIS had a funny turn, so he got to see yet another new world. One day I'd get to go, when I was old enough for mum not to say no. I just wanted to travel, it was in my blood, even if my father wanted nothing to do with me, mum had travelled. Even if it was just for a year, a gap year. I'd wait for Clyde, Luke and Maria as well, and we could all go travelling together.

Chink. Chink.

I almost jumped as stones got thrown at my window, looking down to see Cly, Luke and Maria stood there, holding a birthday banner and balloons. Luke gestured for me to come down so I glanced at mum, still asleep, before opening the window, stretched my wings and fluttered down to their side. "Guys, why are you here?" I thought to them, touching my crystal lightly as Clyde kissed me. "You should be at the party."

"We cleared it with my mum, because even she admitted that you'd had an awful year." Understatement. "So we are free for the very beginning of your birthday because something tells me that Sarah Jane fell asleep."

"She conked out as Cady threw a party while her parents were away. But why would you do that?"

Luke just gave me a hug, handing me a giant hoodie with Princess of Darkness across the boobs to cover my wings. "Because we love you and because of that, you are going to have a great 16th."

I opened my mouth to correct him, because Clyde didn't at all know about the year, and forgot about my bad throat. But Cly just smiled. "It's alright, Princess. I got a Christmas card from the Doctor, pretty much as soon as you got back from UNIT. He told me why you were scared to tell me. I know it's your 16th."

With a weak smile I hugged him next. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go do whatever you're planning."

At which point Clyde lifted me into a piggy back and we started to walk towards the hill, all of us laughing and messing around, my tail tricking Luke into thinking someone was tapping on his shoulder. "Nia, stop it!"

"Make me, little brother." I thought, making Luke pick Maria up and we had a duel until we ended up the top of the hill, all of us falling down in fits of giggles. "We win!"

"How did you?"

Cly got what I was talking about. "Because we got here first but fell down last. Wait, wait, wait... 5, 4, 3, 2...W

Then we got an incredible view of the centre of London as the fireworks all went off, signalling both the start of 2008 and the start of my 16th Year of life. "Happy Birthday Niara!"

I got a giant group hug before they all reached into their bags, getting out differently wrapped presents. Marias was a squishy shape with pretty butterfly wrapping paper, Luke's was so wrapped by mum, because there were near corners even though it was an awkward shape. Last time my baby brother tried to use sellotape, he'd needed to be cut free.

Clydes was neat, perfect and wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper, made to look like the front of a 1960's blue police box.

""Guys, I didn't want anything for Christmas, let alone my birthday." I thought to them, cuddled up with Clyde still. "You really shouldn't have, just being here, with my family, it's more than enough."

"Just shut up and open your cards, Niara." Maria laughed, handing me a few of them. "Your mum said we could do cards with you, besides hers anyway. She thought we'd do something like this, what with it being the first year it isn't just you and her."

With an even bigger smile, the area now lit by Luke's laptop screen, showing a crackling fire screensaver, I opened the one on the top of the pile. I knew that handwriting...

To our special Christmas Faery,

Have an incredible Birthday, dearest Niara, you deserve it after the time you had. We're so proud of what we've been hearing of your time working with UNIT.

Uncle Alistair, Aunt Sally and Kate. xoxo

"They seem cute. But I thought your mum didn't have any siblings?"

"They're close family friends. Uncle Brig knows the Doctor as well." I explained, kissing Cly's cheek as he looked at the UNIT standard card I'd received, only my two fellow baby members, his grandkids, had been tasked to customise it with fun butterflies and books. "He's known him even longer than mum has."

They looked impressed before I opened the next one.

To the Girl Who Stopped the Year,

Happy Birthday, Nia! Just keep reading and believing in everything you do and soon you'll be speaking again. I hope this year brings you far better tidings than the one before.

Lots of Love,

Martha and Tom xxxxxxx

That was a cute one, which I slipped back into the envelope because I liked the cat picture on the front before starting to open Lules. You could tell, he'd spilt tea on it.

Niara,

Happy Birthday! Thank you for being the best ever big sister in the whole entire universe.

Lots of love

Your baby brother Luke x

"Aw, thank you, baby brother." I smiled, giving him a hug as more fireworks went off in central London, all of us cheering the new year. "This is already a good start to the year."

"Good, now hurry up and open the other two cards, it's bloody freezing." Maria laughed, shoving me as she huddled under her coat. "Come on!"

So I opened the card that was obviously from her as slowly as possible, stickers all over it and with scented markers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NERD!

"Really?"

"Dad paid for the card so insisted that he had a say in what we wrong. It gets better, don't worry."

I rolled my eyes at her, before opening it and getting showered in rather a lot of confetti as one of those elastic wind up butterfly's flew up and spread it everywhere. Once I dusted myself free of it, everyone finding it hilarious, I saw there was a Waterstones gift card and random doodles everywhere.

Happy Birthday, Nia!

Thanks for helping me settle into this new life and showing me all the things you have. Dad also says thank you for saving our lives on many an occasion.

Love Maria and Alan xx

"The gift card is from dad, but there's still a present to come from me."

I hugged her next and took the last card, obviously from Clyde. It had amazing illustrations all over the envelope.

Princess Niara,

I've only known you a few months, but it feels a lot longer. After everything I've learned about you, I just know that even if this doesn't last, though I know I really want it to, I will always keep your secret and I will always be herefor you.

Have an amazing New Year and an incredible birthday.

Love Clyde xxoo

Before anyone could grab it and read it, I stuffed it back in the envelope and kissed Clyde hard, making Maria and Luke both groan. "Urgh!"

"Shut up." I thought, still kissing him. "My birthday, not yours."

But eventually I let go and Luke passed me the well wrapped present, letting me carefully slice the sticky back plastic off with my tail, and open a brand new electrical tool kit. Except with the added bonus of a family pass to Butterfly World. Someone obviously told him about my love of it, which was fine, I just enjoyed the fact that I could see more wings like my own.

"Thank you, little brother. I can fix your laptop and we can go see beautiful insects." I smiled, giving him another hug. "We will go there when it's open again."

"My turn." Maria beamed, handing me the soft, squishy parcel. "Took me ages to find the perfect one."

I opened it, expecting to find some form of pretty dress, but there was a soft, cuddly teddy inside, wearing a small bracelet with my name on, and holding a group photo of us that we'd snuck in the middle of assembly, with myself sticking up my middle finger, Clyde kissing my cheek, Maria doing a peace sign and Luke took the photo, holding out his phone.

"Oh, sweet." I thought to them, seeing that it had been specifically made for me because it had Nia on the tag. "This is amazing. He's so soft."

"You're welcome. The bracelet can be taken off, it's designed for you. Mum actually helped me get that, because she does feel sorry that she kept making fun of you when you got kidnapped." She smiled as I gave her a hug as well. I didn't always do hugs, given that I hated being touched, but they'd done all of this for me, they needed hugs. "I'm glad you like it all, Niara."

Clyde hesitated before giving me the blue wrapped parcel. "Wait till you're home, OK? It's just for you to see, yeah?"

I nodded and ticked the present into the kangaroo pocket of my new hoodie before we used Luke's laptop to take another group photo and then started home. "Thank you guys. So much. I think that this is my best birthday ever. No questions asked."

We had a group hug before I took the hoodie off, wrapped all my things up in it and flew back up in through my bedroom window, mum still asleep. Luke was getting dropped off by Mr Jackson in the morning, because the party apparently went on for all hours. Another reason I didn't want to go, because you had no clue when you could leave again. It was like being in prison.

Setting back down with mum in bed, I hugged my new bear to my chest and took out my last present from the 3. I opened the packaging and stared as I saw a deep blue book with silver fol words on the front. The Story of Princess Niara Smith.

It was full of my story, the one that I had written out, from first finding the Doctor again at Park Vale, to finding Luke. The story so far was up to when I'd been kissed by him and I'd run out of the house. It was a hand drawn graphic novel of my life, and it was all done by Clyde.

I stayed up the rest of the night, pouring over every single page of the book, loving every illustration. My mind was so engrossed in it that I didn't even realise the time and soon it was 8am, mums internal alarm clock waking her up. "Happy Birthday, Baby." She smiled, sitting up as I smiled, hugging my book to my chest. "I see they came and kept you company while I slept?"

"Yeah. We went up the hill and watched the fireworks over the Eye, before we say and I opened presents." I smiled back at her, loving that she seemed better now, much more rested than the day before. "Sleep well?"

"I did, yeah." Then fished out the teddy who had ended up wedged between us. "Now, this is a very cute teddy bear. Not so sure that's a time you should be taking a photo, but I do very much like it. What's the book?"

"Something from Clyde." I replied, just putting it into the draw of my bedside table. "Come on, I'll make us pancakes for breakfast, seeing as you can't even make scrambled egg by yourself."

To which she made a hurt face and hit me with a pillow. "I can too make scrambled egg, Niara!"

I shook my head, hitting her back. "You almost burnt down the kitchen!"

This of course started a war of pillows, until we just fell off the bed in a giggly heap, all the pillows and my duvet coming with. "Oh, happy birthday, my special baby girl." She laughed, wrapping her arms around me to kiss my cheek. "Under your bed, go one. Have a look."

Frowning, I opened the underbed storage compartment and found a pair of leather gloves, a leather jacket and a helmet. Like, a motorbike helmet. "But... I'm only registered as 15, I can't legally ride a bike until next year."

"Mr Smith worked with UNIT. For driving purposes, you are allowed to ride your very own motorbike, so long as you don't break laws." She explained as I tried out the helmet. Not bad, even through the tinting I could see really well. "And, do not give people lifts until next year."

I gave her another giant hug, so happy that I could no, at long last, legally ride a bike, with an engine. "Mother, that is so incredible, thank you so much!"

She kissed my hair. "That's OK, Baby. You deserve it. Come on, downstairs before Luke brings the whole party over for breakfast."

We laughed, though still no sound could be heard from my body, and I started to make pancakes, my tail coming in handy as I multitasked. Before something got posted through the door. "I've got it, don't worry. Just the post." Mum yawned, getting up to go and get it. "Since when do we get post on bank holidays?"

"If it's my Hogwarts letter, tell the owl that it's 5 years late!" I called back to her, silently laughing at my own joke. If only Hogwarts was real, that would be awesome. "Wait, you don't think-"

Then she came back into the room with a letter and a small parcel. "Well, it's addressed to you, but it's got no stamp or address. Is that his handwriting?"

I nodded with a smile. "Definitely."

She handed it over as I took breakfast off the heat and opened the envelope.

NIA!

Happy Birthday, love. Hope we got the date right, but if not, have a, or hope you had a, great day. (Or if this is the wrong address, we do apologise, the temporal satnav is on the blink again.)

Love,

The Doctor and Donna xxxx

PS, Don't question the present. In the long run, it'll make sense for you.

Inside the parcel was a new notebook, a galaxy print cover with dark blue, sparkly writing. Beyond Imagination, the inner thoughts of Niara Smith. There was writing already in there, everything that I'd already written in the almost full book Miss Davies had given me, but it left a lot of space for more words. Huh. "They gave me a book."

"Because how else would you keep track of all those thoughts, baby?" She smiled, plating up for me. "Happy Birthday, Niara."

Something told me that this one would be a hard day to beat, all the surprises made it the best birthday ever.


	18. Revenge of the Potato

_Dear Diary,_ _Things are actually starting to level out. I_ _might not be sleeping, but I can eat more than a small fill at a time, fearing that I will come across someone in a worse way. I can leave the sword at home, and not constantly fear that someone was behind my shoulder, even if there was a group of them. IE, the girls I could easily put into hospital, but I don't as more questions would be raised if I did._ _Silence isn't an option for me, but even if it wasn't there isn't a way for me to tell people about my past, or about the fact that each and every day at school I get several broken bones, split lips and bruises, but by the time the day ends there's almost no injury remaining. I'm just stuck in the shadows still, exactly where I belong._

Why was this considered a school project again? I made Mr Smith to track alien incursions, not for my boyfriend and brother to play video games while pretending that it was homework for Monday. "You're done for, Boney."

"Non, Monsieur le Duc. I've divided your forces. You're outnumbered. You don't stand a chance."

Clyde was actually thrashing him, not that it was hard to. My brother wasn't amazing at at shooty games outside of laser tag. "See, that's the problem with you, Bonaparte. All mouth and short trousers.

At which point mum came in, stopped, and just stared at what the two of them were doing, and well. What I wasn't doing, basically. "What's going on? Niara, why are you not doing your UNIT field write up? Osgood has been waiting a month."

"Because the Doctor never does the paperwork, and I'm doing my English coursework for my Masters?"

"It's our history project for the weekend." Luke explained, before mum could say anything about the fact that I was doing optional work over work I was technically getting paid to do. Like I'd said, if the Doctor didn't have to do it because he was an alien, then I wouldn't for the same reason. "On Monday, Clyde and I have to demonstrate the different battle strategies of Bonaparte and Wellington at Waterloo."

Clyde beamed at her as well. "I wanted to do the Battle of Hoth, but Mrs Pittman reckons that Star Wars isn't historically accurate, and I couldn't exactly use Nia, her War technically didn't happen."

Mother blinked at them, before giving up. "Oh, I see. Well, I'm sorry, but I need to speak to Mr Smith." Who was no longer evil, thank god. That reboot cost me a week of updating my laptop by hand.

"Of course, Sarah Jane." He swapped to his new home screen, more wibbly now. "What can I do for you?"

"There's a report on the news about a village called Goblin's Copse. Apparently, last night people saw strange light in the sky." OK, obviously someone got a drone and was bored. I'd been guilty of that myself. "Did you detect any spacecraft activity?"

Mr Smith didn't sound overly fond of the idea, but this was the computer who did try and kill us only about two months prior by bringing the moon crashing to Earth. "No. Lights in the sky can of course have many explanations other than those of an extraterrestrial nature."

Clyde just laughed as he sat down next to me on my sofa, moving my legs so they were on his lap. Comfy comfy. "An alien computer debunking flying saucers? Now I've heard everything."

He just ignored my boyfriend, which hadn't changed at all. Most things had a habit of ignoring him, it was probably the jokes thing. "If every aerial phenomenon reported as a UFO was in fact an alien space craft, I assure you, Earth would be at the centre of a solar grid lock backing up to the outer rings of Saturn."

"It might be my imagination, Mr Smith, but since your reboot, have you acquired a sense of humour?"

At which point my computer just imitated a Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy computer beep. "I will run a diagnostics check immediately." Yup, he now had a sense of humour. Not sure if that was a good thing or not. Something told me when I eventually got my K9 back, he would not do well against him. Mostly because K9 was, and always will be, my favourite AI with a sense of humour. Seriously, doing the crossword with him was brilliant.

Leaving him to it, I grabbed my cardigan and tucked away my wings, following mum as she went for the car, getting on my own bike. I had a small, but fast, motorbike, it was awesome, because seriously, I no longer had to get picked up and dropped off for UNIT missions. "I thought Mr Smith said there was no alien connection to the lights last night?"

Mum merely smiled at Cly. "He did. But the Tycho Project radio telescope is based at Goblin's Copse. Mr Smith is bright, but he doesn't have a journalist's nose for a story."

"What's going on?"

Strange lights in the sky. I signed back to my neighbour, my crystal tucked in my bag for a while. A creeping sounding village and a radio telescope. Fancy a ride into the country?

Maria smiled and got into the back of mums car, Luke in the front. "Better catch it when I can." What did that mean?

But mum lead the way for me to follow, my bike able to go faster, but I didn't fancy getting it taken off me any time soon. The village of Goblin's Copse was small and quaint, but we went out the other side to the telescope, standing in a big group. "The Tycho Project is a network of radio telescopes around the world for friendly life in outer space. This one's been converted from a Cold War listening station."

"Impressive." My little brother nodded as I took Clyde's hand, all of us walking towards the telescope itself. "So instead of listening to the Russian's, it's listening out for aliens."

"So how come they've never spotted any when we've got aliens bent on invasions coming out of our ears?"

Really Clyde? They're nearly always looking the wrong way.

Maria laughed at that. "And let's face it, most aliens don't want to be seen."

"Until they're ready to jump us." He sighed, kissing my hand as I laced my fingers through his again. It was hard to talk when you had to do so with your hands. "Why do I get a feeling they're about to do it again?"

We got inside, where it was dark and cold, before mum started to call out. "Hello? Is anyone here? Hello?" Then looked in amazement at the machinery in front of us. "It's like the Mary Celeste."

"Everything's operational."

But no sign of life. I signed, going to touch things as the only one certified to do so. UNIT get out of jail free card, never left my purse. Weird sort of OS, it's familiar somehow.

"Tea break?" Cly suggested as I tried to access the mainframe.

"It's stone cold." Mum informed him, sounding worried. "It's as if something happened out of the blue. They left suddenly. Just dropped everything and went."

Clyde then went to his default comedian. "Lottery win." We all just looked at him. "I'm just trying to be positive."

Finding what I wanted, I hit Luke in the shoulder until he read it aloud for me. Big sisters were allowed to do that. "According to the data records Niara got up, the antenna was in place to observe Rigel Beta 5 last night at 22:08. But there seems to have been a burst of interference."

"Around 10 o'clock." Mother frowned. "That's when the villagers said they saw lights in the sky."

Now the comedian was in his element. He had the cheesiest jokes, but he didn't give up. "So the people of Rigel Beta 5 don't like telescopes being pointed at them. Like popping a paparazzi on the nose."

Only now Maria got weird again as I kissed my boyfriend quickly. "Clyde, it just wouldn't be the same without you."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not going anywhere. I don't think Ni would let me." Nope.

"Something in the woods." A girl cried, running at speed into the room. "There's something in the woods."

She dropped to the floor, making me frown at her as Luke went to help her. Is anyone else thinking that there's potentially a Troll In the Dungeon?It was my turn to just get looked at, so I rolled my eyes and then lifted the girl into a chair. Stupid Muggles.

Everyone rolled their eyes at me now, before the girl started to wake up again, Cly getting her a cup of water. "Here, drink some of this."

"Thank you. Have you seen my dad?"

"No." Mum replied, sitting down beside her as we hung back a little. "This place was empty when we got here. My name is Sarah Jane Smith. I'm a journalist. Who are you?"

The girl, who was maybe my age, maybe a year older, looked right at her. "Lucy. My dad is Professor Nicholas Skinner. He runs the observatory. Last night, there were lights in the sky, circling the telescope. We went after them into the woods, but I lost him and something in the woods. It chased me. I fell, hit my head. Dad. Maybe it's got him?"

Mum sat her back down as she went to get up. "Calm down. It's alright. What was there in the woods?"

"I couldn't see it." She replied, close to tears. "It was like it was there and it wasn't."

I signed something for Luke to translate for me. "Like it was invisible?"

"It's got my dad. It must have!"

With a look at Clyde, I nodded as I saw what he wanted to say. "Look, don't worry, OK? We'll go and find him. It'll be alright. My girlfriend's good at this sort of thing."

That I was, came with coming from a hunting race with super hearing. Only mum wasn't impressed with our plans. "Just a minute. No one is going into these woods until I know what we're dealing with?"

Her dad could be hurt there, mum.

She sighed a little, before nodding. "Alright. Clyde, Niara, you a look around the observatory buildings but don't go into the woods."

"Received and understood."

We dragged Luke with us, because why not, and started to explore. Before discovering he really wasn't going to be that easy to find. "Lucy's dad isn't here."

Duh. Then he's probably out there somewhere.

"Mum said we shouldn't go in the woods."

My little brother was boring, Clyde agreed. "Oh, she meant all the way in. We'll just have to nose around the edges, that's all." And he lead the way in before remembering that he was a Townie. I was a Skylark, I belonged in the clouds. "I hate woods. The city is civilisation, this is the land that time forgot."

"So why didn't we just stay on the edge of the woods like you said?"

My ears picked up as I heard a twig break behind us, stopping dead to keep listening. Oh I wished I had my katana... What was that?

"Maybe it's Professor Skinner."

Luke, most scientists I'd met were no where near that heavy. This was a solid, short mass that I did not like the sound of. "I can feel the hair on the back of my neck standing on end, Princess."

My brother nodded in agreement. "That's strange. So can I."

No, Luke. That's creepy and every horror game I've ever played is telling me to run and not look back. Then had a thought. Electrostatic field?

"Probably."

Closing my eyes, I focussed my hearing, which was my best attribute, until I found what I'd been listening for. There. It's studying us, or maybe just me. I'm not sure where exactly it is.

At which point the shape did something with it's arm before solidifying. Into a Sontaran, reaching for his weapon. "Run!" Luke cried, grabbing my hand, pulling me back.

We managed to escape by hiding under some brush, but got lost trying to find our way back, my crystal around my neck once more. I needed my hands. "This is wrong, Sweetie. We didn't come this way."

Clyde just pointed to a nearby brook. "We follow that, it's bound to lead to the road. Come on." And walked smack into something invisible. "What was that? Nia, stop laughing." Why? It was funny.

"I can feel the hair on the back of my neck again." Luke told us, like we couldn't ourselves. "There's something here that's cloaked."

So we all started to feel around the spherical shape with caution, my heart thudding. One survived, how did one survive that explosion Evil Luke caused?!

But when I was sure, I had to suck it up and call in for reinforcements as Luke got mum and Maria over. Sontarans were hard, too hard for us, we'd need the Doctor, UNIT, or both. "Skylark to Greyhound 6, do you read, over?" Static. "Skylark to Martha, come in, please? Does anyone read me, it's a Code Red Sontaran, I repeat, Code Red Sontaran. Osgood? Mace? Hell, I'd take Malcolm right now!"

By this point, mum had already shown the Pod, trying to get us all away from it and back to the car and my bike. "That is a Sontaran space pod. I've seen one twice before. Niara fought off an armada. We have both prayed to never see one again, especially on Earth. The Sontarans are brutal killers. If there are Sontarans here, the we are in trouble. Very big trouble. They only ever have one thing on their minds. Conquest."

"Sontar-Ha!"

The Sontaran, who had snuck up on us, pressed a button to open up his helmet, making Cly grimace. "Urgh. I am so off baked spuds."

"Consider yourselves prisoners of war."

"Who are you?" Mum asked, stepping in front of me before i could take charge. I was the only member of UNIT here, and he probably recognised me. "What are you doing on Earth?"

"I am Commander Kaagh, attached to the 10th Sontaran Fleet." Oh, brilliant, I was definitely going to get blamed for the death of his fleet. Good, oh. "Kaagh the Slayer, soon to be Kaagh the Avenger. Kaagh the Destroyer."

Clyde tried his comedy stint. Names were crucial to Sontarans. "Sounds like Kaagh who Watches Too Man Conan DVD's."

Not helping. "Clyde, be quiet. I take it you're responsible for the lights last night?"

He nodded at us. "Simple devices to draw the primitives out of the radio telescope. You are my prisoners, move."

"Look! UNIT!"

Kaagh turned the way Maria pointed, before we all split up, Clyde ending up with mum as I soared up and above Luke and Maria, trying to keep myself close if they needed me. I wasn't actually allowed to go too high. "Nia, down here!"

"How do you know mum'll be here?" I asked, landing with a swish beside my brother and neighbour. Flying was easy, the landing... Not so much. Took practice. "He's blocking my radio, I can't get through to anyone UNIT side, or Torchwood even."

"Lucy. She would have wanted to be sure she was safe." Yes, but she needed to be safe as well. "Besides, this place is right in the middle of whatever Kaagh is up to. She'll have come back here. It's what I would do."

Yes, again, everyone was having predictable thoughts. "Trouble is, so would Kaagh." Then smiled. "Manhole. We can get in that way and hope I can find a decent weapon. Either of you get a shot, back of the neck, the little vent."

We got in there just as Kaagh was explaining his plan, which was a basic mistake and I would later laugh at him, but we just listened. "I was being dispatched to Earth from the Battle Fleet when the Doctor and that girl, Skylark, destroyed the mothership." Uh, no, that was just him and Evil Luke, not me.

"I lost control of my craft. It nearly burned up as it crashed through your atmosphere. The G-Forces alone nearly killed me, but I survived. Sontar-Ha." Ugh. "I was injured, alone. My fellow warriors, the entire battle force, destroyed. The lone survivor of a shamed campaign, defeated by a single man and his Fledgling daughter." Why did everyone think that Jal was my dad? "He did not even hold a weapon, while she could not utter a word.

"But I am a commander in the special assault squad, trained to operate beyond enemy lines. And as long as I have breath, I am undefeated. I moved my craft away from human eyes as I repaired it. And I laid my plans for the revenge of the Sontaran Empire. Here, I have all the weaponry I need to render your miserable planet a cinder floating in space."

Mum seemed to have worked it all out. "By dropping satellites out of the sky?"

"Hold on, Ni, um, Skylark was telling me about that, satellites come crashing down all the time." Clyde was saying, my heart pounding as I tried to see some sort of weapon. "We get it on the news, but it's no big deal. They drop into the sea, or they burn up."

"We guide them into the sea, Clyde." My mother explained. "I think Kaagh is planning something much more deadly."

The Sontaran nodded. "My scans detect more than 3000 satellites orbiting your planet. Your primitive, but deadly, nuclear reactors on Earth will make effective targets."

I saw the look on both their faces, making me bite my tongue to keep from shouting. Which probably wouldn't have done anything, but it was force of habit. "You'll trigger a nuclear chain reaction that will wipe out all life?"

"And I shall return to Sontar as the Avenging Hero." Or not. "My name shall be purged of the shame of defeat. It will echo through the Halls of the Fallen and the Brave. Sontar-Ha!"

"And when does this happen?"

Kaagh had no idea we were listening, which was great. Evil people should never show their hand, it was a rookie mistake. "When they're in the primary position of alignment, a signal from the telescope antenna will bounce across the satellite network and trigger their fall in 45 minutes."

A countdown started on the screen, my boyfriend trying to stay brave. Bravery was standing in the face of danger and not being the first to blink. "Forget it. It's not going to happen. We've seen off all sort of aliens. No way is Earth going to go down to the Baked Spud from Outer Space."

"Your defiance is good, half form." Maria said we had to do something. Well noticed, what gave you that idea? "Our battle intelligence on semi developed organisms is incomplete. The countdown will give me time to expand it with the experiments I shall before on you." That was really never going to happen.

Only mum moved in front of him before Kaagh was able to do anything. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him. I won't let you!"

"Defiance will be eliminated."

And then he fired his weapon at her.


	19. Size 5s

As mum hit the ground, Cly rushed to her side, my entire body boiling and seething as I tried not to just follow my instincts and rush in. "No! Sarah Jane!"

"She lives." Kaagh informed him. "She is my prize to take back to Sontar once Earth is destroyed. There, she will pay for the Doctors and her daughters crimes." No. God, no.

"We'll stop you." Clyde insisted. "You might be Sontaran, but you're only one."

Kaagh didn't seem phased. "One Sontaran, like one Stryx, is all it takes. Secure her with the other female." Skinner did so as Maria, again, said we had to do something. Like I didn't already know that, because my boyfriend was being manhandled by a Sontaran. "Your species biology is primitive. Laboratory analysis at my ship could provide valuable information for the High Command."

Or not, ugly. "Clyde, sweetie, over here." I thought at a yell, throwing a mug at Kaagh, before grabbing a metal poled broom.

He broke free and ran to me, taking my hand, Luke already leading Maria off. "See you, Spud." And we made it into a corridor, my tail whipping the air dangerously. "Boy, that guy has a big case of little guy complex." You couldn't exactly talk.

"Which way?" Maria asked as we got shot at yet again, with me taking the rear. I would heal, I always did.

"This way." Luke told them, leading us somewhere. Please, go the right way, little brother. "Just keep running."

"Faster!" I snapped, my lungs burning so I patted my pockets in search of my inhaler. Which was in my leather jacket. In the control room. I was officially Osgood. "He'll catch us!"

Clyde grabbed my hand and pulled me along as I struggled to breathe. "How far does this bunker go?"

Luke didn't stop. "Miles."

"In 45 minutes, this place could come in really handy."

Kaagh's shots hit the handrail in front of us, so we ran again. Hitting a door at the top of some stairs. Oh, why was breathing with scorched lungs so hard?! "I think I took a wrong turn. Sorry."

They struggled to open it, so I moved them aside and gave it two kicks, because the first one sucked, and then we were through, slamming it behind us, just as Kaagh caught up. "Block it. Tree stump. Go. Air. Pain..."

Maria supported me as the boys did as they were told, the potato hammering on the other side of the door. Physics of a triangle, bitch. "I reckon that is a toad in the hole. Princess, I gotcha, what's wrong?"

I pointed to my lungs, gasping for air that wasn't going anywhere before all three of them pulled out an inhaler, so I grabbed the nearest one, puffed three times, then sagged onto Maria. "Better. So, so much better. Why are you all carrying inhalers?"

"Your mum makes us." Maria replied, before we were all running back into the woods. "Come on!"

She lead the way, my wings trailing behind us until I knew, again, that we needed help. So I tried UNIT again, as Maria got her dad. "Dad? You've got to help! She paused as she was told to slow down. "We're at the Tycho Radio Telescope, near a village called Goblin's Copse. Sarah Jane's been kidnapped by a Sontaran, they're what Niara fought with UNIT before Christmas. We've got about 40 minutes before it destroys Earth. You have to help us talk to Mr Smith."

Which he did and rang her back, Mr Smith telling them things that I already knew, but I was saving my breaths. Never knew which one could try to be your last. "Sontarans do not eat food. They intake pure energy by means of a probic vent at the base of their skull. This point is their sole weakness."

"What on Earth is going on?"

"Chrissie?"

Oh, bloody hell. "What the hell is she doing in my house, Alan?!"

"I think I get first dibs on the questions." No, because you broke into my house? "Alan, what's going on?"

"Maria, I'm going to have to call you back."

Then hung up as I silently growled, punching a tree. "I am killing your mother, Maria. Come on, we have to save ours."

The other girl nodded. "I think I've got an idea about that."

Which none of us overly liked as we ended up staring at the Sontaran Pod. "Whoa. This is your great idea?" Clyde asked, staring at it as he dodged my tail. He was getting good at that. "The Sontarans space ship?"

"Kaagh said he had a laboratory. If Luke or Nia can synthesise a knock out gas, we can use it on him."

Not a bad plan, really, so she opened it and I got to work with my brother, Cly not having a clue what was happening. "We don't know what any of these chemicals are. They're alien."

"Yeah, and what am I?" I smiled, not looking up from what I was doing. "Dylixium chloride, Lyzerium Phosphate. Chemistry lessons from the Doctor are great fun when you're setting fire to the sky." Then an alarm sounded. "Shit. He's going to hear that."

"Kaagh will be coming. Super siblings, you need to get a move on."

I looked at Luke, who nodded and took the vials from me so I could silently start to walk off. "Where are you going?"

"It's me Kaagh wants. I may not be indestructible, but I am far less breakable, I can fly, and I heal." I replied, seeing Cly ready to come with. He couldn't be hurt because of me, not again. "It'll buy you time."

"I'm coming with you and don't even think of arguing." I pouted and he took my face in his hands and kissed me. "You can't always do everything alone."

Yeah? Well... Ugh. I just got mushy all the time at the moment, it wasn't fair. "Be careful, both of you."

No promises. "See you back at the telescope."

I took off as Clyde ran on the ground, before I swooped low over Kaagh, getting his attention on me, before Clyde threw a stick at him. "Hey, Bilbo. Over here!"

He missed as he fired at us, before we started to move quickly. "By Sontar, I will crush you with my bare hands, bite-sizes!"

"Takes one to know one, dumpling." I smiled, going over his head again and slapped it like a drum. "Oh, and I'm not the Doctor's daughter, but he's been more of a dad to me than anyone else."

At which point I followed my boyfriend up to where the door was locked and he was banging on it. "Someone! Anyone! Let us in!"

Mum opened the door as I touched down, her face a picture of relief. "Niara, Clyde." Then we locked Kaagh out.

"Luke's working on this knock out gas." Clyde explained, holding my hand as we reached the control room. "Reckons he can take Kaagh out with it."

"I'm not sure we've got time." Mum replied, looking at the timer that said we'd passed halfway.

Lucy then got a little bit useful. "I've watched my dad working. I can try and stop the programme." Only then failed miserably. "The systems encrypted. I can't get into it."

"Can we sabotage the dish?" Mum suggested. "The antenna has to be aligned to transmit Kaaghs programme to the satellite. If it can't operate, he might as well howl at the moon."

She nodded a little. There's an operating system."

"Where is it?" I asked, ripping a useless pipe from the wall as a weapon. I missed my sword...

"Round the other side of the complex."

My mother nodded and grabbed her bag and therefore our sonic lipstick. "You two stay here. See if you can break that code."

Only as we headed out to try and get there, Maria and Luke both were being chased by two drones. By this point, I'd had enough, so I launched myself upwards and ripped them apart. "I am not in the mood for this!"

"Mum!"

She hugged my little brother quickly, before looking at our neighbour. "Quickly. Maria, you have to go with Niara. She's going to try to disable the dish. Luke, you're with me. We have to try everything we can."

I grabbed Maria's hand and pulled her with me as fast as I could before we got to the engine room of sorts. "There's a central control system transponder somewhere. All we have to do is take it out."

"Doesn't that sound a bit too easy?"

Probably, but an easy day would be nice about now. "The hard parts finding it." Which not even I could do. "It's got to be around here somewhere."

"14 minutes, Nia." At which point I was grabbed from behind. Not by Kaagh, but Skinner, which was far harder. Mostly because I had a rule of not hurting humans under alien thrall, and therefore couldn't hurt him. "Let her go!"

"Go, Maria!" I thought at her, my body getting crushed. "Find the transponder. Now!" S she ran off to do so as I avoided hitting him with my tail. "Get off me! Get off!"

Only as she finally found it, Kaagh had already thought of that plan. "Is this what you are looking for, female half form?" Children. They were children. "Remember the first law of battle. Think like your enemy. The second law of battle. Anticipate them." Then put the transponder safely in it's case. "The operating system remains fully operational."

"Kaagh, it's I who you should punish, not this world!" I cried, still struggling, my wings crushed. "The Doctor and I did this, not the humans!"

"Yet you are a quarter human, through your mother, are you not?" He asked me, but I stayed perfectly silent. "As punishment to you, you shall watch your world bun before I take you to Sontar to pay for yours and the Doctor's crimes."

He took me by the hair and dragged me back to the control room, Skinner taking Maria. We got back in there just as Luke broke through, but I knew there was something else You could hear Chrissie Jackson a mile away. "Move away from the controls."

Maria shook her head. "I'm sorry. We didn't do it. The antennas still operational."

"These half forms and Fledgling may be primitive, but I admire their spirit. I shall remember them honourably on my return to Sontar. Earth will be a worthy sacrifice to the empire."

Mum shook her head, looking worriedly at me. "No, Kaagh, Luke broke the programme code. He disabled it. You can't take control of the satellites."

"The third law of battle." He replied, unphased. "Always have a plan B. Activating my sleeper agent."

Lucy gasped, grabbing the back of her neck, making Cly groan. "She was one of them all along? We felt sorry for her."

Even Kaagh cracked a smile. "She was unaware of my control. Another rule of war. Infiltrate deep within your enemy, then infiltrate deeper still."

Mum went to sonic her free. "Lucy, no."

"You might give your life, but will you sacrifice your own fledgling?"

"Do it." I told her, not moving as I had a gun put to my head. "Mother, just do it!"

"I can't, Baby."

You could. "It's me or the Earth! It's my fault anyway, we didn't make sure none survived!"

But she just threw down the sonic onto the desk. "You are my daughter, Niara. You are everything to me."

By this point, Lucy had reinstalled the programme through her phone. "When the programme reloads, it will automatically transmit to the satellites and target your nuclear installations around the world. Sontar-Ha."

"This isn't conquest." I snapped, struggling to breathe with how tight I was being held. "It's annihilation. The Earth is useless to your Empire without ATMOS."

"I will have wiped the Sontaran defeat from history. My name will live for all eternities to come. My people will scream it as a battle cry!"

"Now, I have to admit, that is kind of cool."

"Not helping, Sweetie."

He gave me as weak smile as Maria tried. "You're killing innocent people."

Kaagh wasn't really bothered. "Your planet defied Sontar. That can never be." Excuse me, it wasn't the planet, it was myself and my Godfather. "We will have victory overall. Nothing will stop us."

How about a ditsy bimbo who was barely taller than you? "Try my size 5's, Humpty!" Damn, I missed that name!

Chrissie Jackson slammed the heel of her shoe into the vent of the potato, before they were both knocked back by the energy release. "Mum! Mum!"

"Consider yourselves deactivated." Mum told the Skinners, while I moved to grab Lucy's phone and smashed it, just in case. "Nice work, baby."

"She's alright."

Mother was just looking at the unconscious woman on the floor as I just sat on the Sontaran, turning my wings sharp and heavy. "What I would like to know is how Chrissie knew where to hit a Sontaran." Alan looked sheepish as Clyde joined me in my seat. He was surprisingly comfy. "I suppose it can wait."

"She's coming round."

Maria had a thought. "Quickly, the knock out gas. Give it to me."

"What for?"

"If we can get mum home before she comes round, maybe we can convince her that none of this ever happened." That would be good. If she'd been in the attic, she'd have seen photos of my wings. "She banged her head. Had a bad dream. Anything."

My own mum gave her a look. "Your mum would have saved the world. She won't have a clue."

Alan nodded in agreement with his daughter. "Believe me, it's better this way. We'd never have heard the end of it."

Chrissie weakly woke up, looking at her daughter. Before getting a face full of the anaesthetic. Just as the mind controlled zombies also woke up, meaning we had to get out quick.

Maria's dad took her mum home as we escorted Kaagh to his ship. Luckily, Alan had the sense to bring my sword, so Clyde and I were armed. "Don't try anything." Mum told him. "Your crafts weapons have been disabled, so don't think about coming back."

"Defeated by a female, a Fledgling and half forms." Don't knock it. To be honest, I had no idea when I was no longer a Fledgling, I was just waiting for people to stop calling me it. "I will go, Skylark and Sarah Jane SMith, but I will not forget either of you. Sontarans will yet cry my name in battle."

Then he got back in his ship, mum making us lower the weapons. "Well, I think that went as well as expected, don't you? Now, perhaps we should all run."

And hid behind a tree as he took off, Maria linking arms with me. "Do you think that's the last we've seen of him?"

She smiled and shook her head, putting her arm over my shoulder. "I hope so. Of course, with some people, it really doesn't matter how far they travel. They never really go away."

6 WEEKS LATER

"I have completed a further scan, Niara, Sarah Jane." Mr Smith told us, wanting to give Maria a little bit of good news before she went. Why did she need to leave? I only just got friends, I didn't want them to go. "I have no Sontaran energy signal detected."

"Maybe Kaagh isn't coming back after all." Mum smiled, kissing my hair. "Thank you, Mr Smith."

I turned with a creak of a floorboard, seeing Maria in thedoorway. "Niara, Sarah Jane?"

So, everything packed?

She nodded, knowing sign language now. I couldn't see the crystal, n~

t with Chrissie about. "I just wanted to come and take one last look. And I wanted to say goodbye to Mr Smith."

"In anatomical terms, we all remain connected by the universe, Maria, so I will say, au revoir."

I really don't know what your father and I did to him.

"Will you come and see us?" She asked, giving me a hug so I got to slip the matching bracelet of the one on my wrist, with her name on it too, into her pocket. "Please."

Mum nodded with a smile. "Of course. Can't really stop Nia, can we?" I just gave a peace sign. "And Maria, I really am sorry for how reacted when you told me about America."

She just shrugged. "It doesn't matter. We were sort of busy."

"No, I was wrong. You see, well, for the first time, Nia and I have felt like part of a family. And so soon, I thought that Niara was going to lose it. The sister she secretly always wanted."

We went out onto the street, all of us hugging Maria and Alan before they all got into the taxi. And Chrissie stood next to me, still tottering in high heels that were higher than her intelligence. "I remember it all, you know." I just raised my eyebrow, not able to speak. "The Sontaran. What happened with my shoe. That fact that you have wings and a tail. Don't worry, I won't say anything. They deserve a new start. We all do."

I nodded before waving as they drove away, then went back inside, reading until night fell and my Clyde was stood with mother and Luke at the telescope. "I'll miss her."

Cly nodded, kissing my cheek as I cuddled into him. "Yeah, me too."

"I learned a long time ago that if you're missing somebody, just look up at the night sky. Wherever it is, wherever they are, chances are are, they're looking at the stars just like you are."

I smiled at mum, putting a hand on her shoulder before mum cracked to life on the table. "T1 to Skylark. Do you receive? T1 to Skylark, Over."

"T1?"

"You're not going to like it, mother, let's just put it that way." I replied, grabbing it and clicked the talk button, my crystal voicing my thoughts. "Skylark to Torchwood Hub, I receive. What do you want, Jack?"

Jack laughed through the radio. "Nice to hear from you too, sweetie. Fancy a trip to Cardiff?"


End file.
